moving beyond the comfort zone
Typically, I keep my make-up relatively natural. Cream and taupe eye shadows and a neutral lip. Thrilling, I know. Lately, however, I have been branching out from that. I saw a photo of Heidi Klum and loved her make-up so much that I decided to try and recreate the look. I have a bunch of these fat pencil liners from Stila, Smashbox and Sue Devitt and I have been using them a lot lately. I started smudging the color from my lash line to my crease and putting a complimentary color on top. Then using the same pencil, I line my lower water line and smudge under my lashes. It seemed dramatic to me at first. It was new. But I thought, “What the hell. I own a make-up store.”
The weird thing is…I have never received so many compliments! Picking the kids up from school, no fewer than three moms told me how pretty I looked. I went to the post office and the woman behind the counter told me she liked my make-up. I went to get my nails done and mid-pedicure the girl asked me how I made my eyes look so nice.
I am often guilty of selling someone a lipstick and thinking, “Wow, that looked great on her.” Without ever considering it for myself. I sell red lipstick to women every day and love the way it looks on them. Every time I put it on though, I immediately take it off. It feels weird.
We become accustomed to seeing ourselves a certain way and when we do something different we don’t feel like ourselves. But the truth is, that can be fun! I bought some ankle boots from The Shoe Hive and always felt so awkward wearing them. For two years–yes, two years, they sat in my closet. On day, I just decided to wear them. Five women asked me where I had purchased them!! The next week I asked Elizabeth (The Shoe Hive’s owner) how to wear them. She looked at me like I had four heads and said, “Wear them with what you have on today. Skinny jeans and a blouse.” I realized that there are people who do things every day that seem so normal to them and completely alien to me.
From that day forward, I merely find a pair of shoes I love and rely on the ladies there to enlighten me on how to wear them. It’s the exact same thing with make-up. I am much more adventurous now. I still haven’t conquered the red lip, but I intend to this fall (stay tuned). So, the next time you see something and think, “That looks awesome on her. No way I could pull that off,” don’t be so sure.
Come into Bellacara, The Shoe Hive, Zoe, Kiskadee and even Coco Blanca (Hello, acrylic coffee table…I do love you!) and ask to try something different. We would love to help you step out of your comfort zone and experience something you never thought to do. It just may get the lady at the dry cleaners to say, “Wow you look great!”
