I'm glad I'm not into makeup - Day 24 of 30 day writing challenge

when it's all about the eyeliner

30-Day writing challenge through Kale & Cigarettes (500 words)

It was my older daughter's high school graduation yesterday. I have been meaning to make more of an effort to wear makeup and get dressed up more often. I watch my daughters and see all of their eyeliner. My youngest daughter takes an hour to put it all on. How is that possible when it takes me 90 seconds? One day I decided to try some of their liquid eyeliner on the top lid, when I'm used to the pencil on the lower lid. I got chastised bigtime by both girls.

"Oh my god, mom, I know when you were my age you used to wear purple eyeliner and burn the tip with a match before putting it on the rim of your lower eyelid but now it's different." I asked if I could get a lesson from her. Answer: "You know how you can't stand when someone is looking over your shoulder when you're typing? Well, I can't do make up when you're watching." I asked if I could watch her do hers. Same answer along with "Watch a youtube video."

there are youtube videos for everything

So, I did. I felt like I was watching an excerpt from the movie Mean Girls or a Paris Hilton gig. I don't think I'll ever have the patience for all of that effort and layers of makeup, and although I did learn a few techniques which are different from the "match technique," I will never get it right. So, I did a little and just didn't worry about it.

Before bed, I had to remember to remove my makeup. I use coconut oil for everything so why not use that for makeup remover too. My daughter, of course, said that definitely doesn't work. I did it anyway. When I wake in the mornings early, I'm not used to looking in the mirror as I leave the house, hair wet, still dripping. After yoga, I realized that there were big black chunks in each corner of my eye. I definitely don't have the makeup routine down—and don't really care to.

My biggest lesson is how much time is wasted in this effort, including trips to the bathroom when you're at a restaurant (as my daughter was wearing lipstick and asked about how it will look after she eats, so I mentioned that I see women in the bathrooms with all their makeup in their purses).

time is precious

My time is precious. I'd much rather spend it writing, listening to the early morning birds, meditating, staring at my coffee as it brews or talking to my cats. If each of my days included hours of makeup, reapplication and makeup removal (and probably looking in the mirror to make sure I looked ok—I don't normally look), many hours of each day would be wasted. Also, after I get ready in the morning, I like to do what I want with freedom, including crying, napping, or lying in the sun... none of which would be ok for a makeup face.

I'm glad I'm not into makeup.