i had researched it for months in relation to my preferred mascara brand of several years,
the green clinique tube i've perpetually used beyond the recommended 4 months.
and as i sat in the chair receiving my impromptu 15-minute makeover,
i thought how comparatively impulsive it was for me to agree to this.
the artist, a friendly woman named debbie, worked quickly as she informed me about the various products coating my face & eyes.
she insisted my skin was dry & required "hydration".
"hydration" apparently feels like lacquer.
now don't get me wrong:
i love makeup.
i have a kaboodle kit --
yes, i still own one
-- filled with various eyeshadows, lipsticks, & eyeliners that i employee throughout the week.
i've been wearing an evolving regimen of products since i was 12.
and i've settled on the fact that i am a lips & eye girl.
but even those are in moderation.
so when i peeked in the mirror after the final coat of mascara was applied,
i was shocked at the array of colors that greeted me.
after the initial befuddlement that impaired my response system,
i was able to stammer that it was "fun."
after some careful blending & strategic product removal,
i could confess i kinda liked it.
you know, in that way that accepts a new situation but offers no personal commitment to it.
debbie was pleased with her creation, having admittedly gotten carried away during the process due to me practicing a yes-and mentality.
D: "i'm going to do two types of mascara, jessica."
J: "yes, and why not make it extra thick!"
i drove away with my new mascara & nothing more,
save the free products that were thrown in for being a first-time customer
(&, i like to believe, a good sport).
at each stoplight, i chipped a few more layers off the spider-web eyelashes on my left eye,
the length of which,
due to the length-enhancing serum within that one type of mascara,
bore a striking resemblance to falsies.
my glossified lips formed into a smile at how i'd embraced an opportunity atypical to me:
i met a new person & tried on a new face, all in the course of a fraction of an hour.
passion this year is about trying new things & experiencing the consequences,
rather than fearing those consequences and missing out.
the cost of a tube of mascara was worth that lesson this afternoon.
