Not So Sweet Make-up

I had a Sweet 16.

There.  I said it.

I grew up in Brooklyn, and a Sweet 16 extravaganza was incredibly common.  Honestly, I must have gone to over 30 of them between sophomore and junior year of High School.

The entire experience of planning the party was incredible.  I got the dress at Kleinfeld’s in Brooklyn (this was back in the day long before they made the move to Manhattan), and I remember having my appointment several months before the event to try on dozens of dresses.  I spent the afternoon with my mother and sister, and after hours of trying on dress after dress, I finally found the perfect one.  The one that made me smile.  The dress that is the reason I will never wear a princess dress again.  Because, once you’ve had the perfect princess dress for you, it’s hard to find another that will live up to the same standards.

There was also a tiara.  Not your ordinary run of the mill, tack-a-wack tiara.  I opted for a thin, one layer headband.  It had been featured on the cover of Modern Bride magazine the same year, and was a gift from my sister.  The price tag of said tiara/headband thing is still a secret that my sister and I will always have between us.  She knew it was a must have, non negotiable sweet 16 essential, and that anything else wouldn’t have been perfect – And so, she spared me the trouble of sitting down with my parents and having to explain to them why I needed this tiara – And purchased it for me on the low.  I know.  My sister is AWESOME.

But, I digress.  Seriously, I love so many things about my Sweet 16: The dress, the tiara, the candy bar, the venetian hour, the venue – It was a birthday that every girl should have once in their life.

What I do not love so much is my make-up and hair.

First let me start with the hair.  For one thing, I will never wear an ‘up-do’ again in my life.  Just looking at the word ‘up-do’ typed out across the screen makes me want to vomit.  ‘Up-do’ = BIG MISTAKE.  I hate this kind of hair now, and would never ever in a million years do something so ‘dated’ and horrific to myself ever again.  Sure, my hair was hardly TERRIBLE, but, I think it would have been much more timeless and attractive if I’d worn my hair down.  At least it wasn’t a particularly ugly ‘up-do’ – And I had some sense of style enough to opt for something halfway decent.

Now…My make-up.  When I look back at pictures, I really don’t like it. I also remember not LOVING it when I got it done that day.  The foundation was HEAVY, and cakey, and just unnecessary considering I was just barely 16 and my skin was fresh as a flower.

Then there is the lipstick.  Hmmm.  I just don’t think it was the right color – But, I’m positive I was wearing MAC Rebel which I wore ALL THE TIME circa 1997-1999.  It’s not terrible, and I’d still rock it today…I just think there may have been a better and softer shade (or gloss) that might have been more appropriate for the dress.

I don’t really have any comments to make about my eye make-up.  It’s just ok.  It’s neither a ‘do’ or a ‘don’t', it just is what it is.  Definitely could have been better, but I’m sure the receptionist/makeup artist who did my make-up at the salon was hardly a real ARTIST.  You get what I’m saying?

All in all – It could have been worse.  But, if I had it to do all over again I would have opted for dewy skin (courtesy of a light weight tinted moisturizer), and a delicate shimmery/smokey eye, with a light pink glossy lip.  Much more age appropriate and fitting for the occasion.

Do you have any events in your life, that you wish you would have had better make-up for?

Tags: MAC, sweet 16

My Momma Does Not Want Me Shakin’ What She Gave Me

Latin culture is very sexy. Incase you did not know.

It’s also somewhat (to a point of conflict) very conservative.

For example…Growing up, my mother was all about glamour and beauty and all things feminine. I would watch her set her hair every week and sit under a giant bubble hair dryer for HOURS (that we had in our own home, by the way). She also never left the house without make-up…And, could often be caught doing some kind of face mask or steam treatment thing at any given time. She also always wore ’slimming undergarments’ (Think Spanx but like way before Spanx) even though she wasn’t ever fat. It was just a ‘latin thing’ – And my father would take her periodically to this spot in Brooklyn called Olga’s to pick out a new “cintura” so she could look extra fly in whatever dress she was wearing to whatever family event was happening at that particular time.

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An Open Letter To My Relatives

Hey all -

Anyone who was at Titi Jenny’s 60th birthday, who happened to look (and laugh) at the photo of me wearing white shoes and glasses…

This one is for you.

I need a photo, and I can’t find any depicting the years that I need.

I have a feeling I avoided taking many pictures during this time period because I was mortified by myself.

But, anyway – This is your lucky day for laughs because I need to refer to those traumatizing years…

I’m asking for you to dig up your worst. I need it for my website – For a little blog I am writing about zits.

If anyone has any photos of me age 9-13 with acne and oversized glasses – I really need you to scan and send.

Thanks!

xoxo,
J

That email was sent at least 3 weeks ago. At least. Can you believe that NOT A SINGLE PERSON sent me a photo? I mean…HELLO…FAMILY…IF YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE FUN OF ME YOU COULD AT LEAST HELP A GIRL OUT.

UGH. Whatever.

I managed to dig this one up on my own:

Confession: When I was 10 I had acne so bad, that kids at school would call me pepperoni pizza face.

Those were not kind years. Not only because of the acne, but also because of the ridiculously large glasses my parents forced me to wear.

This picture isn’t even the worst. I’m not wearing the glasses and you can’t really see my horrific skin because the photo is blurry. But, at least I look like I have a black eye (WTF?), and I’m wearing unfortunate looking clothes (Um…Sleeveless Flannel Shirt = FASHION VICTIM) Yeah…I’m pretty sure that photo was taken on one of my better days.

Anyway…

I realize we all have our awkward stages – Unfortunately, my awkward stage would last almost 4 years.

On the positive side, I woke up one day around 13 or 14 and my skin was completely clear. After years of being tormented, and after trying dozens of products that didn’t make even the slightest bit of difference- The acne that had been such a pain in my ass for so long – Suddenly had vanished.

Fast forward to the present: My skin is great. I hardly ever get a pimple, and although I’m only 26 years old…It seems as though I’ll be aging fairly well (Thanks mom and dad!).

However, every now and then…There’s an upset. These upsets are rare, so I don’t particularly mind especially since I’m always prepared to cut things off at the pass. There are very few upsets that my magic pimple cream can not fix. *NOTE: If you don’t have this, you should ask your Derma to prescribe it for you for emergency situations*

And then – maybe just once a year – There is more than an upset. Instead, there is a DISASTER on my face, and that disaster always leads to a personal crisis because it makes me feel like I’m 10 years old all over again kicking up all sorts of emotions that I really could do without (!!!). *sigh*

I HATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS:

It’s been there for a week – It is completely unresponsive to any method of treatment – INCLUDING my magic pimple cream. And every time I think it’s going away it resurfaces.

The only thing I can think to do, is to kett fixx it.

Thank God for Kett Fix!

Look:

Whew. That’s much better.

The after picture was taken outside, in natural light – which is typically the most unforgiving as it shows EVERYTHING. That means the Kett Fix is doing it’s job and covering things up quite nicely.

The zit may remain, but at least it’s hidden until I can figure out how to fight a good fight against it.

Suggestions? Anyone!? PLEASE. HELP. NOW.

I Hope I Look This Good If I Ever Have Kids

That’s my mom. Sans make-up. Looking every bit the fox at 36 AFTER having three kids. She’s radiant, while the rest of us are featured awkwardly next to her. The rest of us being my brother, sister and I (Dad was probably taking this picture).

I’m the baby with the disgruntled looking face and messy hair – Not a drastic difference from what I currently look like – Which I insist confirms that we are who we will be long before we are aware.

Today, I still make that face and my mother still looks fab. She is also a woman with some serious preferences when it comes to make-up: Bold orange and pink colors are favored on the lips, black eyeliner INSIDE the eyes ALWAYS, and no blush (The rosacea takes care of that).

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’ve selected a few products with my mother’s preferences in mind. Make-up inspired by Mama Villafane…

Lip color: Vegas Volt from MAC
Eyeliner: Black Kohl Shaper from Clinique
Mascara: Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara *My mother actually uses this. It’s a WONDERFUL product for people with sensitive eyes and skin*

Happy Mothers Day!