LIVING LIFE

Some people believe that wearing a mask has kept them healthy during the pandemic, while others believe that the benefits have been minimal or non-existent. For those of us who have worn makeup every day, washing out the residue of facial products has created a new routine- scrubbing makeup off of various materials and methodically rotating masks so that they can be washed and dried. Personally, I have collected countless masks during the past two years and I have enough to last me for the next ten years, which hopefully won’t be necessary. The first masks were pretty and colorful (because we all thought this disease would be “no big deal”). Now my everyday mask is black which reflects my current attitude towards this entire mess. For people who have difficulty making decisions, I am sure countless hours were spent deciding between colors, fabrics, filtered vs non-filtered and cost.

There is one consistent and undeniable consequence of masks- your face is mostly hidden when you wear one. The benefits are obvious- no need for lipstick or for that matter any face makeup, and we actually gain a few extra minutes every day. Eye makeup is the only visible cosmetic product when you wear a mask. I am guessing that the sale of false eyelashes and other similar products has increased greatly since the pandemic started as a result of mask wearing. I actually found a great eye makeup product that I will share at the end of this post.

For those of us who are approaching middle age, the most significant benefit of wearing a mask has been the fact that no one can see the lines, wrinkles, and dark spots that have taken up residence on our faces. Double chins are somewhat hidden and any renegade hairs are no longer visible. One of my closest friends told me last night that she had to go to bed but needed to pluck her chin hairs first. See what I mean? If she just went to bed and wore her mask the next day, no one would ever know. Perhaps our mindset regarding masks should be changed. We could become middle aged rebels and wear masks for years just to avoid face makeup and plucking! Forget fillers, Botox, and facelifts- if you continued to wear a mask, nobody will have a clue what your face looks like.

Earlier in this post, I mentioned a cosmetic product that I purchased several months ago. Throughout my adult life, I have been an avid cosmetic products junkie. As a result, the cabinet under my bathroom sink is a literal graveyard of unloved cosmetic products. Significant amounts of money were spent on the quest for the “best” foundation, mascara, and eyeshadow. I have enough palettes of multi-colored eyeshadow to decorate the eyes of every actress in Hollywood. The bottom line is that every one of these products either faded in 20 minutes, created eyelid creases, made my eyes water, or ended up on my cheeks. The result in many cases was that a smokey eye look made me look more like Uncle Fester in the Addams Family. Not exactly what I was going for. Enter Nudestix Magnetic Matte Eye Crayon. For the first time my eyeshadow stays in place all day and my eyeliner stays intact. The neutral colors are beautiful and blend effortlessly. It sounds like I am quoting a print ad but this is honestly one of the best cosmetic products I have ever bought. If you want more info, please leave a comment below and I will contact you as soon as I organize my masks.