filed in Daily Life, Strategy Session
When You Don’t Inherit the High Heel Gene
I must’ve misplaced my woman’s manual:
1. How to wear high heels for a long evening, without regretting it in the morning?
2. How to apply concealer without looking like you’re wearing concealer?
3. How to keep polish on fingernails for more than a day without chipping?
4. How to stay warm in a sleeveless dress on a wintry day, especially in California, where no one likes to turn on the heat?
5. How to blow-dry hair, and not end up looking like your mother (or maybe that’s my mother)?
6. How to act like you don’t want it when you really do?
(Image: Nailpolish, 2009, by Elad Lassry)
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is that Essie nail polish in that photo?
I used to wear painted nails for years but they require too much work … base coat, colour coat then a top coat … and why?
grow your hair long & wear it pinned up as the great Hepburn did …
leave concealer alone … I like to think the dark shadows under my eyes make me look slightly mysterious & world weary …
sleeveless frock are a problem over here in the U.K. where central heating is often a joke … a big dramatic shawl …
and what is it you want?
life is short … do not live according to what other expect … suit yourself.
I was at brunch a few weeks ago with my sister and my half-sister. They’re both experts with makeup — and the half-sister is only fifteen. It does make me wonder if I’m missing some genes somewhere. No matter how many times I visit the MAC counter before a special event, I leave feeling clueless. When I put shadow and liner on my eyes, I honestly can’t tell if it makes a significant difference. And I feel painted, not myself.
I like to imagine a future where we’ll look back and think how silly it was that women wore makeup and heels. It will say something about how ill-regarded and powerless our sex was. Perhaps I’m a die-hard feminist. Or just really lazy and looking for excuses.
One boon to not wearing makeup: you keep everybody’s expectations really low.