One of my earliest memories of makeup is my mother drawing in her brows and slicking on lipstick but doing very little else to her face as she was very anti-foundation but very pro-skincare. I was not allowed to wear makeup until I was 16, but her philosophy has always stuck with me. I ended up becoming a makeup artist for 7 years and through painting countless faces, I heard so many stories and learned how makeup is more than just paint.
For some people, it's survival and for others, it's a luxury while for some it's a necessity. For me, makeup is a tool of glamour (to paraphrase Dita Von Teese), a way to telegraph who I want to be that day and it's my armor. While my makeup artist days are behind me, I still relish the opportunities when I get to sit at my vanity and take an entire two hours to "put on my face."