Anyone who knows me knows that I was never really much of a "girlie girl." As the only female in the family as far as cousins are concerned, I grew up a little differently than your average girl. By the age of 5, I could throw a spiral and field a ground ball better than I could paint my nails. Instead of getting dressed up in cute outfits and pigtails, I could often be found climbing trees and running around with the other kids on my block.
As I got older, not much changed. I spent countless recess' getting muddy and dirty and getting all sorts of cuts, scrapes, and bruises. I joked with the guys and always felt like I fit with them more than I did my own female kind. One could expect that with this type of behavior, how my hair looked and whether or not I was going to wear makeup were the least of my concerns. This, too, carried on for quite some time.
Fast forward to high school, where I played softball and volleyball competitively. Although I didn't care enough to do something about it, I was so envious of the girls who could go through an entire practice or game and still walk off the field or court looking like a million bucks. I questioned it often, but never made an attempt at releasing my mane from the beehive it sat in firmly atop my sweaty head. This lasted all four years.
Finally, I went away to college. I left the comfort of home, and Mom and Dad. I was a new butterfly spreading her wings and preparing to take on whatever the world threw at me. When I got there, I noticed how put together all of the girls looked. Curls perfectly set, bangs blown out and falling gracefully across their faces, and this thick black line across their top eyelid. And then there was me. I lived in tank tops and shorts, with not a trace of makeup to be found in my belongings, never mind a curling iron. In my defense, I had a pretty serious boyfriend and I wasn't looking to really impress anyone anyway, so what did I have to worry about?
At the end of my freshman year, we broke up. For the first time since I was 14, I was single. And clueless. I had been in a relationship for so long, and it was such a comfortable relationship, I never bothered to really look good. Or at the very least try to. I was lost. Luckily, I wasn't alone. When my junior year rolled around, I found a sister in my sorority who didn't have a roommate. I immediately reached out to secure a spot as her roomie. That year, we struggled more than Helen Keller would have with directing traffic.
Whenever we had mixers or events to go to, we made sure to set at least two hours aside just for YouTube tutorial viewing time. We had no idea how to do anything. Hair and makeup may as well have been Japanese to us. What the hell was winged eyeliner and why was it such a coveted skill? Do these heels make me look like a baby giraffe taking its first steps? It was AWFUL. The only, and I mean only time we ever actually got complimented on our makeup skills was when we attended a Haunted Mansion Halloween event. We needed to look dead, so naturally we applied all of the makeup we owned to our faces. We looked terrible, which is exactly what the event called for. Other than that, we were a lost cause.
That was a few years ago, and since then I have actually grown to love and appreciate the skill that applying makeup actually is. I had no idea stepping foot into a Sephora store would ignite this newfound obsession within me that I never knew existed. I now own a briefcase-style makeup carrying case. It is quite full and contains probably close to $1,000 worth of makeup from some of today's top brands. It weighs about 15 pounds and I am in love with all of it.
Makeup has now become a type of therapy for me. I have so much fun putting it on and trying new color combinations to see what works and what doesn't. It was nearly 21 years in the making, but I am finally learning how to "girl" successfully. Hair? That's another story. But for now, I can apply a mean contour!
Be sure to check out some of my favorite Sephora products:
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner
Kat Von D Contour Palette
BareMinerals bareSkin Brightening Serum Foundation & Well Brush
Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water
Marc Jacobs Beauty Remedy Concealer Pen
Urban Decay Weightless Concealer
Urban Decay Naked Basics2 Palette
Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil
TooFaced Soleil Matte Bronzer
TooFaced Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder
TooFaced Cocoa Contour Palette
TooFaced Better Than Sex Mascara
TooFaced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick
TooFaced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Lipstick
