Makeup Confessions

1. I have no idea what NC shade I am. I don't even know what that stands for.

2. I don't own a single Sigma or Mac makeup brush. I have no idea what all those numbers stand for.

3. I don't own a single MAC eyeshadow: When I watch beauty gurus, I feel like they've lapsed suddenly into another language.

4. Blush looks pink, peach, rose, etc. to me. I overload on the nuances and don't understand people who need 8 shades of pink. I think peachy-pink is overused and often inaccurate in color descriptions.

5. I wish the trends in makeup focused more on technique and less on product: Makeup can truly be an art and not just another vehicle for product consumption. The emphasis on product can be a little soul-sapping at times.

6. I love that Francois Nars himself admits the success of his blush is due in part to the sexually blatant naming conventions.

7. I love Nars' quote: "Relax, it's just makeup." It strips a lot of the mystique away and makes it seem like an accessible and fun pursuit. It's truly not rocket science, despite what some top makeup artists may say.

8. The first thing I notice about someone is how she wears her makeup. If she doesn't wear any, I imagine what I'd put on her. If she wears it "wrong," I mentally start fixing it.

9. I have Whoopi Goldberg brows (almost): They're pretty much an outline of brows. Fortunately, I was born with a perfectly arched outline, so I just fill in my own stencil each morning.

10. Makeup can make us more of ourselves; it's not diminishing if we approach it right. This is the wonder of it. It transforms how we see ourselves by unearthing who we can be.