Not in my makeup

I'm sure the girl at the makeup counter cringed when she saw me standing there waiting for a makeover.
I bet she could tell right off she wasn't going to make a big sale with me.
Here I was, an obviously old lady who didn't use much makeup and what I did use, I didn't use well.

I felt like made-up Mulan

But my daughter and I had the night off and we thought it would be a kick to try something new. So we walked right up to the Clinique counter at Macy's and took a seat. At least I did.
My daughter is already lovely without much makeup and she hung back, allowing "lucky" me to get the opportunity to get made up for free.
The girl sat me down and surveyed the situation.
"So what do you usually do?" she asked.
"Um, not much," I said. "A little blush, a little eye shadow, some mascara."
I waited hoping she'd say something like "That's fine. That's all you need!"
Instead, she sort of paused and gathered her wits about her, squinting at my face.
She assembled a bunch of bottles and brushes in front of her and waded in.
She applied some clarifying lotion to sort out my skin, taking stock of my wrinkled cheeks.
She put on some primer to build a base for some paint — er, makeup.
She added another layer of something else, followed by powder and some eye color and some lip gloss with vitamin C in it.
I looked in the mirror.
Looking back was an old lady still only this time with expertly applied makeup.
My skin all looked the same color. My eyes looked a little brighter and my lips were glossy.
The girl did a good job. I was impressed with her skill and how she worked with all these little pots and potions without getting confused.
I probably looked a little better. My daughter said I looked nice.
But to be honest, I know there's a lot to be said for foundation and shading and luminescence.

The geisha look is not for me

I'm sure that for some women, it would be worth spending $200-$300 for a starter kit of products to get one headed toward glamorous looks.
I'm certain there are those who would be happy to be so pretty.
For me, I couldn't wait to get home and wash my face.