Make-up Philosophy

and yup..those are my roots showing through.

During Lent, my dear friend Christie shared her Philosophy of Make-up on Everything to Someone..and it got me wondering: do I have a philosophy of make-up? She writes that make-up ideally

"improved my appearance, and it didn't look like I wasn't wearing any makeup, but it didn't look like my makeup was hiding me either."

 Which is a lovely description..I like to look like I'm wearing make-up. I like dramatic eyes and the chance to play with my 'look'. I like to 'decorate' as much as 'beautify' myself with make-up and emphasize my eyes as much as possible.

"Makeup serves two main purposes: (1) to decorate and (2) to beautify.  These purposes don't have to be mutually exclusive, but I think when the decorating takes away from, distracts, or frustrates one's God-given beauty, it's a shame."

 Again, I think Christie makes a great distinction..and it's one I try to make each day as I apply it to my eyes and face..I want to decorate while beautifying, nurture the good, subdue the weathered aspects of my skin, and play.

If I didn't have to take Seth's opinion into account, 90% of my wardrobe and make-up would be black...A few colorful silk skirts, neglected lips, and black blackness everywhere else! 

As it is, even with my dear, neglected husband pulling for variety, I'm hovering somewhere around 75% black in my overall 'look'. And when I start searching for something new, I find myself inevitably in the black racks. 

With make-up I am, despite a philosophy that leans toward playing, equally monotonous. The lazy me has long ago discovered that I like my eyes wide and dark, emphasized with black and grey; my skin blush-less (I blush too easily on my own!); and my lips..well, I like my lips done in dark purples or brownish reds, but I long for the style to pull off a really red red, and I generally neglect my lips entirely - knowing the color will end up long gone before noon anyway.

I'm working on that,  because it violates my philosophy of make-up..the philosophy that says: Be pretty today, for tomorrow we're all wrinkly and old..and be pretty then too, because only Buffy gets to be dead, but still pretty, so live it up!


Do you use make-up? What's your philosophy of looking good?