When I was a young’un, it was the most magical time when I got all dressed up in costume and went door-to-door knocking for treats. Once, Mama — who is far from a seamstress — labored for weeks to sew black gowns for my brother Tony and me. He went as a scary gargoyle, with one of the ugliest masks ever, and I was a frightening old troll. In the end, Mama did us proud with those costumes.
Then there were all the times we would pile into my friend Vernon Renee’s family car as her older sister Patty drove us from house to house in that late model burgundy Buick. We laughed so hard in those days, laughs that don’t seem to come as carelessly now that we are all grown up. Halloween has always been full of tricks and treats for me.
One memorable early November, my 13th birthday party was a costume celebration with half the seventh graders dancing all over my mama’s prized azaleas in the front yard, but we did have a heck of a time. I dressed up as Boy George and missed the first 30 minutes of fun because I was in hair and makeup. Vernon Renee made a convincing Naomi from “Mama’s Family,” Misty Ann was Punky Brewster, and Lance didn’t even bother to wear a costume, proclaiming he was dressed “preppy.”
The only tricks that evening involved keeping the music from my new FM stereo from disturbing the neighbors, not running out of cake, and keeping two friends, who will remain nameless, out of the bushes. It was a long night.
The treats of this season usually range from a delicious caramel apple or candy corn to Tootsie Rolls and most anything made with high fructose corn syrup and sugar; however, I’m going to give y’all some treats for your face, certain to need no mask.
An embarrassment for teenagers in the ’80s might have been that burgundy Buick “family car,” but today burgundy is stylish indeed.
Stylish lips are colored with deep, rich hues of maroon, burgundy and plum this season. Don’t just take my word for it. Pick up any current issue of Vogue, Elle or InStyle for dark and dramatic pouts and puckers on every page. Another rage for the face right now is the tailored brow. Think Audrey Hepburn or Elizabeth Taylor, and channel these glamorous divas. The arch is high, tweezed or waxed to perfection for a well-manicured eyebrow sure to turn heads this season.
One last treat is the resurgence of “rouge” on the apples of the cheeks in bright shades of rose, mauve and plum. Swirl powder blush onto the cheeks or, better yet, go vintage with a crème blush. The trick to making this classic new again is to forget what your mama told you about blending it away for a barely there hint of color. Bold, daring cheeks are a treat for all, so go trick-or-treating for yourself at a local makeup counter. You will be beautiful. I just know you will!
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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