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| Me and make-up |
| Friday, December 08, 2006 |
I have never been a formal person, I dont fancy formal events or get togethers ever. One reason why I managed to get out of various weddings that I had to go with my parents, unless the bride or the groom were really close was this. Let me face it. I have total inferiority complex, big time. Since childhood. When I was a teenager, I never bothered to 'dress up' much for any event. I dont know why. May be because with my inferiority complex I knew it wouldnt help to dress up. It would be like this person who wanted to look beautiful and tried her best with all the make up and accessories but failed miserably, still looking like an ungly duckling. While in college too this continued. Getting ready for any event included washing my face nicely and brushing my hair with a little extra care, and wearing a more expensive salwar, and appropriate sandals. That was about it. No bindi, no fancy earrings, no powder even, hated bangles, or chains.
It was kind of a relief when I came to the US. For the first two years while in school, these formal occasions were limited to Diwali Night, or Garba Night or some Indian occasion. I thought in US things would be different, but how wrong I was!!! Here girls used real make up. They actually put loads and loads of powder called a base, i think and mascara, and eye liner and what not. I didnt dare venture into doing any of this, thankfully. Until it was my own wedding.
When I was younger I have often wondered, probably even my Mom wondered how will I ever look like a bride. The few weddings I went to brides wore loads of make up and loads of gold ornaments and all other fashionable accessories which, actually made the bride look scary, in my opinion. But it was a custom, one cannot get out of it. Sadly as Indian tradition goes, bride has to look beautiful. Now I knew it would be a mammoth effort to the so called beautician to make me look beautiful.
When my friends heard of my impending wedding, all of them started giving me advice on what I should do to look bright and beautiful on that special day. I think I kind of got carried away by them, and I actually shopped for all the accessories I implored and loathed for myself before going to India for the wedding. My Mom also pitched in her advice saying that we get really good stuff in the US than in India. So I set forth with my newly wed and hence well informed friend to buy these accessories. It was like a whole new world to me. The whole make up act, with three or four layers of paste-like powder on your face, with mascara, and eye shades, and lipstick and lip gloss were all new to me, I stood there in awe looking at all the stuff. I bought some in a whim, for a moment I thought it might just make me look beautiful! Poor me.
My poor poor beautician set forth the process of beautifying me a week before the wedding day, that is exactly the day I landed in India. Facial massage everyday with fruits like papaya, manicure and pedicure everyday continued, as the poor lady, was trying to make me look bright and beautiful. First time ever in my life, and I thought it would be my last time also, I had my eyebrows shaped. I distinctly remember going with my college friends to the beauty parlour and watching them get their eyebrows done, and upper lip hair removed and all that. I also remember wondering how can they ever do that to themselves. The lady also did waxing of my hands and legs and even my face to remove the hair! Oh my did it pain! Let me tell you something. I like hair, on my hands and legs, I mean not like a gorrilla, but still the light amount of dark hair against your skin gives a natural look I think. But no, these women want it all taken off, they want shiny blemishless skin all over.
The skin on my face is very sensitive. I know that. It reacts very quickly to any anomaly. And so due to the waxing on my face the day before the wedding, my face was totally pimpled with spots all over on the day of the wedding! My anger had no bounds. I mean I would have been better off without all the jazz the beautician proposed. She was a little scared after that, and heeded my words and did not put too much stuff on my face.
Atleast with her I was able to tell her to not put too much make up. We had a second reception at DH's little ooru a few days later, where the make up women were the ones the in-laws had arranged. Their little complaint was that I had had very little make up on my face for the wedding! So this time I could not say anything. I gritted my teeth and sat through the whole make up process, which was supposedly called the 'golden make up' or some such thing, where finally the bride's face will be glowing in gold color. Ahhh!! I would have screamed when I had seen my face after everything was done. Is that really me? Do I even see a tint of my real face? Is my face soo unbearable, cmon I have a guy who liked me, including my face and ready to see it all through his life day in and day out, how horrible can it be? And why did they have to hide it totally beneath all the make up?
I took to different ways to make myself look good slowly afterwards. I mean I was married, so it didnt matter what others thought of me, as long as DH liked it. So anything I tried on, like a new pair of earrings, I got DH's approval before wearing it in public. Still my efforts at taking-care-of-how-I-look are limited to straightening my hair every weekend nowadays, I really like my hair when it is all straightened. My Mom will be happy to know I also wear different earrings at times. My Mom, I think must have depressed to have a daughter who does not fancy buying those different earrings, and bangles and bindis and chains. I always wore a single chain and ring-like earrings which I started wearing when I was in Std 5.
But well, I guess people change. Right now personally I think I do take care a tiny bit to look presentable atleast of formal occasions. I still cant wear make up and mascara and stuff, they are a big no no. But I sometimes wear fancy clips or earrings, I did my eyebrows a second time, due to popular vote at the salon where I had gone to have a simple hair cut. But thats about it.
Who knows, probably when I hit 30, I will have aging anxiety and start doing all stuff unimaginable, to prevent from feeling or looking old. Lets see, I am keeping my finger crossed.
This post was supposed to be about the formal party me and DH attended yesterday, but looks like my make-up story only is a post long, so will continue with the rest of the story later. |
posted by SK @ 2:53 PM  |
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| 3 Comments: |
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aren't you a very very different girl then? ;-) i also look to keep it simple just like a lot of boys. the only cosmetic i use is the deo. here because of the ozone hole, i had to apply the sunscreen! i hate to dress up for all the formal occasions - interviews, work (i guess i will love wah=work-at-home), presentations, meetings, parties. i prefer a simple shirt and a half-pant unless it's cold! i hate wearing shoes too.
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Ah, a straight from the heart post :-). But I had a question, I mean I was married, so it didnt matter what others thought of me, as long as DH liked it. - doesn't contentment start with yourself :-)? - how does being married change that?
As for makeup, I don't have the time nor the patience to dabble with it everyday. On special occassions though, I do try out different things - if I think I look good, I feel more confident :-).
Trying out different make up things ocassionally is also a fun activity. How I wish I still had my younger cousins near enough so that I can use them as guinea pigs for making-up fun :-(!
Hmm, and I am obsessed with buying hair-care products and eye make-up. At least I use the hair-care products from time to time but I think I can confidently say that I have the biggest collection of unused eye make-up :-(!
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ranSparkie,
Heheh may be. Same same same here.:--)) And u know I hate wearing shoes because I hate wearing socks :--D
Arch,
Hey being married changes all that because DH likes to see me all dressed up girly girly, while I dont fancy it much, mostly because of my complex I think, but I am working on it :--D Left to myself I wouldnt bother with all those things. I guess I need to be around girls more. :--))
LOL at unused eye make up :--) I too have unused creams bought eons back. :--(
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aren't you a very very different girl then? ;-) i also look to keep it simple just like a lot of boys. the only cosmetic i use is the deo. here because of the ozone hole, i had to apply the sunscreen! i hate to dress up for all the formal occasions - interviews, work (i guess i will love wah=work-at-home), presentations, meetings, parties. i prefer a simple shirt and a half-pant unless it's cold! i hate wearing shoes too.