Will you guys still like me if I admit that I’m 28 (almost 29- ew) and I still haven’t ever really bought makeup. I mean, I’ve bought makeup, like at the grocery store since I was 12–heck a few years ago I even graduated to Bare Minerals foundation (holy love), but you know, until last week I had never been to one of those fancy makeup counters in the department store.
You know the ones.
Where the girls are either wearing all black or all white, and they’ve got all their brushes strapped to their hips like they are just ready and willing at any moment to makeover your life.
Yeah, those ones.
Never done that.
I had however, walked past them many times and somehow that strange little insecurity that I always thought I’d done away with would start to creep up inside of me.
I’m not one of those girls who buys makeup at the MAC counter.
I’m 16 and I wear cover girl, and shop at Ross, and save all my weekend job money to pay for my cheer leading, and I can only fit in kids clothes, and my cheeks are round, my chest is flat, and braces grace my teeth.
Except, I’m not 16 anymore. I’m grown-up, er–well I’m an adult anyway.
And although my chest is admittedly still flat, I’m a woman.
Who’s given birth to three littles.
And got one Mr. through college (twice).
And bought 2 homes.
And many cars.
And lived in lots of places,
and seen lots of things.
And conquered lots of fears.
Except for the MAC counter.
So being the determined woman that I am, I did what any self-respecting girl would do when she wants to conquer a fear.
I made my older sister go with me.
And stand next to me while lovely Jody buffed and brushed away at my face, and told me all about how she just got bangs to hide her forehead wrinkles because Botox is no longer an option.
Um, I’m not in Kansas anymore.
I make weird faces when I’m out of my element/intimidated/feel like an impostor.
See.
And I brought my little.
Because she loves all things girly.
And she’s really funny when she gets bored.
And her lips are divine.
And then I spent a ridiculous amount of money on brushes and creams and pencils, and shadows,
that actually work really well and make my eyes/face look all creamy and lovely.
Even if doing so gave me palpitations.
And I learned a few things from my day at the MAC counter:
1. Good makeup is, in fact, expensive.
2. Sometimes its okay to spend money on yourself. (I tell myself I’ve learned this, but honestly it’s still difficult to swallow.)
3. Good brushes matter.
4. There’s pretty much nothing that Mr. won’t say I deserve. Even if I think he’s wrong.
5. Doing something that intimidates you can be fun, scary, and uncomfortable all at the same time.
6. Makeup doesn’t really matter that much. What matters more is how you look at yourself. The MAC counter had always scared me because I still unconsciously hung on to this adolescent feeling of inadequacy.
But really, that’s not who I am anymore.
I’ve grown up, and studied things, and married my sweetheart, and made babies, and lived places, and seen things.
I love my life.
I’m not perfect. Not even close.
But I like who I am.
And no amount of makeup will ever give me that.
You lookk gorgeous!! LOVE your makeup!! I love mac makeup, it is the first “grown up” makeup I started buying and I’ve been hooked!! Good for you for treating yourself!!
Congrats on your first MAC experience :) I had my first one last year (at age… cough, cough…31) So don’t feel so bad. I used to buy my make-up when it was on sale at Rite Aid. Tip to save $$… once you find your expensive go-to make-up product, go buy them on ebay. I save about 40-50% on my favorite name brand makeup items!
I think you look gorgeous..I love this post and I love that you got some new little beauty things for you! Watch out….makeup counters can become addicting….I never ever went to a makeup counter until I married my DH….now I’m obsessed! :)
So fun!! You look gorgeous — I would love to see your makeover pic in color, too! I got hooked on MAC a few years ago. I went from having 1 blush and a few shadows and glosses to having a gazillion of everything ;)
I know someone left a tip about Ebay — but unfortunately lots of fakes are sold on Ebay. I would stick with the MAC counter :)
i am so intimidated by the make up counters!… i guess i am self conscious about someone evalutating my imperfect skin. im also afraid they’ll judge and pressure me to spend a ton of money. and some of the women just don’t look approachable!
i’ve always been someone who buys my make up at drug stores too, but since i have really sensitive skin- ive recently decided i probably need to invest a little more in my face.
wow – you have perfect eyebrows – you look amazing!
I think you look gorgeous without all the MAC, but maybe I’m just that way because I also use Covergirl.
You deserve whatever makes you happy but honestly you’re simply gorgeous without all the expensive. Seriously.
Wow! That makeup certainly does accentuate the lovely assets God gave you ;).
I love MAC, and let’s not talk about Sephora. I have to say I save my pennies (and have choosen not to have a cell) in order to get every few months something new. Good Makeup does wonder, but loving yourself does miracles.
Good for you. Next time try Fix Plus
I once went to MAC for my birthday and they outlined outside of my lips and I looked like a clown for the rest of the day. Still, I bought the eye shadows and the eye liner brush and they are still my favorite part of my makeup bag. :)
I love MAC. But they dont sell it anywhere in Montana.. you know how hard it is to buy makeup online! Practically imposible!
You look stunning!! This makes me want to go try it out because those makeup counters give me butterflies too.
You look lovely! The MAC counter is so fun, but I totally hear ya on the intimidating thing, it took me some time to approach the lovely mono chromatic color wearing woman but in the end it all turned out great! Looks like you had some fun and got some awesome goodies!
Natalie
http://www.projectdowhatyoulove.wordpress.com
Gorgeous! I love any thing Mac! Agreed they are pricey but they last long and make you feel and look pretty! I absolutely swear by their moisturizing foundations and the dusty powders!
I remember going to Manhattan with my best girl friend to visit her cool older sister when we were 14. Her sister took us to Bergdorf Goodman’s to have our makeup done and bought us each a lipgloss and eyelash curler (which I still use because it is amazing). I felt so special and we loved getting all dolled up. I immediately went out and bought a similar shade of eyeshadow to try to duplicate it. And we loved when some guys thought we were 16. Oh, to be a carefree teenager again.
Off topic, but are you in the new discover commercial? It’s clips of all sort of things, and one looks like a pic of you. Just curious.
I totally always felt the same way! I finally went to the MAC counter about a year ago and also spent way too much money on brushes and wonderful eyeshadows, and liners, and blush. I also learned a ton about how to do my make-up the right way. Soooo worth it! Good for you and overcoming your fear!!
come on Cori… make up post and b&w pics!! I’ll went couple of weeks ago to the MAC counter in another city, bc there isn’t one where i live.. I thought it was fabulous but i was too scared to buy anything! maybe next time! You look lovely hope you post a pic in color!
I love a little time at the beauty counter. Probably time for me to make a visit too! Hope you can share this at our little style link up:
http://www.momtrends.com/2011/11/tips-for-traveling-in-style/
Why the heck aren’t these in color?! I want to actually see the makeup, pretty lady!
I cannot believe it took you this long to go and splurge on makeup with Tashi as your sister! Once you start, you can’t go back!!!
I will probably be 28 when I go to the MAC counter for the first time too! Haha. And I’m okay with that! You look gorgeous! And your daughter’s lips really are divine! Haha.
I was a 16 year old who saved up her pennies from her weekend job to pay for cheerleading too! And the MAC counters always intimidated me. My grandma would send me Clinique and once I had my friend buy me some lip gloss there but beyond that, those make-up counters terrified me. Then I had an extremely outgoing roommate who loved to pamper herself. She broke me of my fear by scheduling make-overs for us w/o my knowledge or veto power. I loved it! However, I was still too broke to afford it :( Now, I’m like you and just can’t justify spending the money on it. Someday, maybe, but for now I’m married to a starving student…
careful now girl, I can promise you you will be addicted!! I remeber my first MAC experience … I have never left them … love their products so much… you look very lovely by the way!
jess
http://www.jesscauseblog.blogspot.com
MAC counter = my happy place.
I once had an entire phone conversatin with a friend who was going on her first trip to the “Mac store”. Me: “Oh! Don’t let the guy in the fishnet t-shirt scare you.” On and on… Turns out, she meant the APPLE store. Still makes me laugh.
Also, if you have the “Cosmetic Company Store” at an outlet near you, they get lots of MAC. It’s a great place to stalk for holiday brush sets after the holidays for a deal.
Also, save your empties. Bring six back, and you get a free lipstick!
Just wanted to give you a heads up. Good makeup does not have to be expensive. Check out The Cosmetic Cop, Paula Begoun. She tells it like it is with all makeup. I never buy anything without consulting her lists.
It is fun to visit a MAC counter though.
Cori, your make up always looks so pretty. I love how you do your eyes. It would be amazing if you could do a little tutorial for the less handy among us ( like me, hahaha). Hugs all the way from rainy England.
You look gorgeous!
I love the MAC counter. I also always feel insecure going there, especially without much makeup on. But, the customer service from MAC is almost always fantastic (as long as you are getting an actual MAC-trained associate) and everyone is really friendly. No need to be nervous. The prices are high, but the quality is incredible. I dropped a blush on the tile floor last night, and it barely kicked up a little bit of powder. A drugstore blush would have been toast! And because they are so pigmented, they last forever!