Little girls grow up way too quickly to suit us, and my niece is no exception to the rule. Recently I was honored to escort her to the makeup counter where she would be introduced to mascara applied the right way, lipstick in a shade worthy of a graduating sixth-grader, and even something to “blush” about, literally.
When her mom said, “yes,” I was both happy and sad. The first for obvious reasons; sad, because although it’s a rite of passage, it also means the toddler that pointed at holiday lights expressing “oohs” and “ahhs” will now appropriately turn her attention from me to other things. Dances, dare I imagine even boys, and junior high will consume her thoughts. I miss that blonde-haired baby hugging me, grabbing my nose and calling me “Day-Day.”
But like many before her and even more to come, it’s time for this 12-year-old to begin enhancing the significant beauty God gave her with a soft brown eye liner and a pat of powder across the nose. It is just the natural order of things. About a week ago, it was to be our special time at the Clinique counter with my friend Vicki, who knows all about cosmetics, making faces, and not-so-little girls since she has clients of all ages.
Perhaps you have a tween of your own and would like to benefit from some of what we learned. We began with skincare, of course, because addressing all those concerns a teenager might have are essential, things like redness, oil in the T-zone, and breakouts. There was much ado about mild cleansers and toners removing the last traces of dirt, oil and makeup which can clog pores.
Then we quickly moved into the language of foundation, choosing a light neutral powder for evening out the skin tone without looking overdone or unnatural. A girl of this age doesn’t routinely need any foundation beyond powder. I heard words like blend, swirl and pat from the chair I occupied next to my eager novice. Each time our makeup artist slipped away to grab a tissue or smile at a familiar client, I enjoyed a giddy giggle and a smile from a child blossoming into a young lady amidst the mirrors and fluorescent lighting.
We all giggled when Vicki did one side of her face and then gave her the brushes to do the opposite side herself. That’s when encouraging phrases such as, “You can do it,” and “Practice makes perfect” ignited the confidence of our student, even if they are clichés.
The trickiest steps were putting on eye shadow by holding one eyelid closed, the other open wide. It was still foreign to her even though she had watched her mother do it hundreds of times. The mascara was challenging because, let’s face it, it ain’t easy keeping your composure with a giant black wand aimed at your eyeball, at least not for beginners. The one thing I learned is no matter what age a woman is, the lipstick shade always takes the longest to choose. We finally decided on a not-so-bright pink that was, well, just pink enough without being too pink.
It took about an hour from start to finish that day at the makeup counter, but moments like these last a lifetime. It seems like only yesterday when I did the very same thing for my first niece, who is now 25 and will soon be telling her own daughter that lipstick is not appropriate at age 3 or 4. They always try Mommy’s lipstick at that age, it seems, and at least it’s good for a photograph.
As we walked away from the backlit display cases of lipsticks, mascaras and such, I looked over my shoulder at Vicki waving good-bye to us, down at this new lady squeezing my hand, and forward at the glass doors leading us out into the world where makeup will be just the beginning of her brave new world. How lovely that she was still willing to hold hands!
Former Columbus resident David Creel owns Beautiful With David Salon in Jackson and can be reached at [email protected].
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.