Chapter One
Lipstick
Blush I can handle. Eye shadow I dig. Eye liner is easy. Mascara is simple.
But lipstick. Lipstick is a different story.
I've never liked it. In high school, friends would subtly hint, "Hey Kara, wanna try my lipstick?" Or they'd be
not-so-subtle, "Kara, you really need to wear some lipstick. You'd look way better."
So I'd try. I'd lean toward the mirror and make that really stiff smile you're supposed to make when you put on
lipstick, and give it my best shot. But invariably, it'd end up smeared. Or it would look so bright that I'd blot it
off. I'm the kind of girl who wants lipstick that looks like you're not wearing any. In my opinion, they should make
that a whole brand. It could be called lipstick-that-looks-like-natural-but-you're-still-wearing-something lipstick.
I can't even buy lipstick by myself. I have to bring a friend. I have a friend who is like in love with lipstick.
Lipstick is her thing. She wears it all the time, and it always looks great on her. I asked her for some advice once.
She dug in her purse through her seventeen lipstick tubes and handed me one. "Bronze Beauty" it was called.
On me, it looked like Majestic Mud.
So last night I went to Macy's with my husband to buy some lipstick. While he's not savvy enough to tell the
difference between Natural Nude and Rosy Nude, I knew that he wouldn't let me buy anything too horrendous.
There were two women behind the counter. One was wearing about a half-inch of foundation. When she smiled, I
thought her face would crack. Seriously.
The other woman looked more normal. More like me. I went to her.
She sat me down and gave me one of those so-that's-what-I-really-look-like mirrors. First we started with lip
liner. I leaned in close to the mirror and really concentrated on what I was doing, and it actually turned out OK.
Then we went for the lipstick. Barely Blush was a bit too light. Natural Wonder was better. Wanting to risk a bit, I
scanned the lipstick towers myself. Usually I only try on lipsticks that have the word "Barely" or "Natural" or
"Nude" in them, but I figured I'd go wild and crazy and try Pink Pleasure. Yikes. Way too pinky. Even my husband
kinda grimaced.
After a few more bronzy, orangey, and maroony samples, I decided that the second one I tried, Natural Wonder, was
the best. I bought it and the lip liner and went on my merry way to the food court.
What's interesting is that I walked out of Macy's feeling better about myself than when I walked in. I'm 31 years
old. I spend all sorts of time helping girls see that they don't need make-up to feel better about themselves. And
yet my $21 purchase gave me a lift. I could take on the world knowing my lips would be up to the job.
Is that bad, OK, or even good? What does it say about me that two items that weigh about 2 ounces make me feel
so much prettier?
These are tough questions to answer. But in this chapter, we're going to try. As you read the articles, we invite
you to think about your own make-up issues. Do you feel like you need it? Do you feel naked without it? Do you
feel worse about yourself without it? Why wear it in the first place?
And you'll probably think of even better questions. So read on.
Make-Up . a Tax Deduction for Me
By Kendall
Make-up is a tax deduction for me. Whatever I buy, that I only
wear on stage, is a write-off. What that means (for those of
you who don't pay taxes yet) is that at the end of the year I figure
out how much money I've made and I pay taxes on that.
But there is such a thing called deductions.
Which means if I made $100 I'd owe them $20 of it. But if out
of that hundred dollars I spent $50 of it doing something related
or involving my career then I only pay $10 dollars. Make
sense? (Excited about doing your taxes?)
I do have a point. The profession I am in wants me to look as
beautiful as possible. I can't tell you how many times I've
been at a concert. And when I sit outside at the table where I
sign autographs a little girl or little boy comes up and picks up my CD. They hold it about arms length away
from them and then look at me. They squint their eyes and look back and forth from the album cover to my
real face a couple of times and then they say it. "Is this really you?" I'm like, "NO! I'm selling someone else's
album! Duh!" What are they implying, I ask myself. Do I really look that different?
The Photo Shoot
My record company spent $20,000 dollars on my photo shoot-which could buy me a brand new car. Now it
wasn't all on air brushing and stuff like that. It was renting the place and booking the photographer, hair
stylist, make-up artist, and clothing designer. (And for all the food. It was really, really good food. Which I
tried very hard not to eat . unsuccessfully.)
Three hours before the shoot, my hair is blown out perfectly straight (which I can never seem to do on my
own). I've got concealer under my eyes with the consistency of fudge frosting. I'm getting sweaty and so
someone has to stand right beside me with a blotting towel and more powder. I've got clothes on that cost so
much I just burst out into laughter when I see the tag (tags still attached . on loan and headed back to the
store that night).
There is soft artificial lighting in addition to the natural sunlight to give me just the right glow. There is
music being played to make me "happy." I am also wearing the tallest boots in the world with long pants
because it's an optical illusion . in other words they make me look thinner. It was great fun while it lasted!
Back to Reality
The reality is, at about 10 that night I changed into the clothes I came in, which, I think was like a t-shirt
and jeans. I got into my dirty pick-up truck and drove home. I washed my face with some generic brand of
soap and laughed at what the washcloth looked like. I crawled into bed and realized I'm not any different.
About two weeks later I got to go into a room and look at all the pictures. There were hundreds and hundreds
of them. It was surreal. I couldn't believe this girl was me. I knew that I didn't look like that. And yet here I
was deciding what face I was going to show the world. Makeup does wonders . and it's a tax write-off for me!
I grew up in a Vineyard church. And Vineyards are somewhat known for great worship. This one was no
exception. Every Sunday and Friday night, I could be found somewhere in the auditorium face down and
probably crying. God showed up and I went down.
Captive Heart
Music captured my heart at a young age, especially in worship. As life went on I realized that I also had a
talent to write songs, not just sing. And so I began to write about my struggles and joys and about supermodels.
It worked! Someone thought it was decent material and gave me a record deal! But the desire to
worship was still there, it never left and probably never will leave.
When you tour so much there are many things you learn about being on stage. I've picked up little tips and
tricks to help me have better shows. It always helps if you feel attractive walking out there, so here are my
little things to do:
First of all, black eyeliner. It makes my eyes stand out like nothing else, so that's a must. Next, foundation
and powder (which I never wear in normal life), all over my cheeks. Because of my red hair and fair complexion,
when I overheat, my face looks like a hot house tomato! So pile that foundation on, baby! When my hair
was short, I would always try to pull it off my forehead because my sweat makes my hair curl, and of course it
is the age-old dilemma-if your hair is straight then you want it curly and vice versa. Also it doesn't matter
if your clothes are comfortable . as long as they look good.
Make-up Doesn't Worship Well
On the final night of a long tour, I decided to play my favorite worship song at the end of my set. It was one
of the most moving experiences I've ever participated in and I learned a lesson I'll never forget.
As I stood up there with all my make-up on I realized that no one in the audience was looking at me, they all
had their eyes shut. No one out there cared if my mascara was rolling down my face with my sweat and
tears. No one was looking at me . their hearts were focused on the one they were worshiping. More important
than all of them not looking at me, God himself was looking at me. And he saw through not only the make-up
on my face, but the clothes on my back, and the skin on my bones. He saw all the way into my heart. And
only he, not anyone else in that room, could see if I was beautiful or not.
And so that is why I've decided that make-up doesn't worship well. It runs, it goops and most importantly it
takes my focus off him and puts it back on me. Isn't it funny how we rush to the bathroom and touch ourselves
up because we live in a physical world. God inhabits a spiritual world. We think In Style magazine
defines beauty? I think God himself is Beauty. The more we look like him the more truly beautiful we will
become. There's food for thought.
I do wear makeup
So I just got home from a show back East and I thought that the story was all too fitting not to share with you
all. I had an early flight. And when I say early I mean 6:45 a.m.! Which means be there at 5:45, which
means wake up at 4:30. So what is the normal clothing attire for someone who flies that early? Tennis shoes
and baseball caps I tell you! And as comfy of clothes as you can find, if you can even make it out of your
pajamas!
I arrive without a speck of makeup on. Not even lip gloss (which I always think means I've at least tried to
look put together). The person who came to pick me up was a young, attractive gentleman. When you travel
as much as I do and get picked up by strangers every time you fly in, you begin to recognize who's looking for
you before they realize it's you. So this guy looked at me and I could tell he entertained the possibility, but
then decided, "naaaaaaa. It can't be her. Kendall Payne is a rock star. And that girl couldn't be a rock star
if she tried."
make-up
By Julia
The key to having your make-up look great is by using it as a tool to accent the natural beauty that God has
already blessed you with. God created each of you uniquely and beautifully. Everyone has different skin types and
tones, eye colors and face shapes. Accept and appreciate what is beautiful about yourself, and then have fun
playing up your features.
The other key to having your make-up look nice is to first take care of your complexion. If you don't maintain
healthy skin, what's the sense in trying to enhance it with color, right?
So here are some
tips towards healthier skin:
* Drink plenty of water each day.
* Get enough sleep at night.
* Use good skin care products that are designed for your
skin type, morning and night. They should include a
cleanser, a toner, a mask and a moisturizer.
* Follow up with sunscreen which protects and seals in
all of that good care.
* Keep your hair and hands off of your face as much as
possible. They can transfer dirt and oils, causing
blocked pores and blemishes.
* Speaking of blemishes, try not to squeeze pimples.
Squeezing them causes scarring and spreads more
bacteria to the surrounding area. Continue to clean the
area as normal and use a mild acne product if necessary.
* Be careful of strong acne cleansers that sting; they can
actually dry out and irritate the skin, damaging it more.
Think of applying make-up as art, and that your face is
the canvas, and well, your brushes are your brushes! A
good artist will paint her entire canvas all the same color
before she begins to paint in order to create a smooth and
even surface, and so the colors stand out even better in
contrast. You can do the same with your face by using
foundation.
Foundation not only helps defend your face from harmful
elements like UV rays from the sun or impurities in the air,
it also evens out the skin tones of the face and helps
cover blemishes. If needed, apply concealer before foundation
in order to cover larger blemishes or to minimize
darkness under the eyes.
Some tips on choosing
and using the right foundation:
* Be sure to select a color that matches your skin tone. It
should almost disappear into your skin.
* Do not use foundation to try to change your skin color or
tone. It should cover lightly and look natural.
* Always try on a foundation before you purchase it. Your
hand is not a good test area. Actually sample it on
your face, and in natural lighting.
* A good way to find the right match is to test three
shades at the same time.
* Apply small stripes of each shade on your cheek, one
above the other.
* Whichever one disappears is the best. If in doubt, ask
your mom or a friend to help you decide.
* Foundation can either be applied with your fingertips or
a sponge, using light upward motions.
* Be sure to cover your whole face, but you do not need to
pile on a thick layer. Again, think natural.
* Take the time to blend it in well, especially along the
jawbone and hair line to avoid a noticeable line of color.
Cold Turkey
I started wearing make-up when I was eleven. Some of my friends got to wear it when they were ten. But my mom's always
behind the other moms, so I had to wait a whole extra year.
It was just lipstick at first. And really, it was more like lip gloss. Then blush and mascara. By high school, I was
into eye shadow, foundation, the works. I wore make-up every day to school, but I didn't wear as much as my friends
did. They wore like twice as much as me. So I felt like it was still OK.
In college, I moved into a dorm where guys lived on the same floor as me. One side of the hallway was men, the other
side was women. Lots of the women didn't wear any make-up. Lots wore lots of make-up. I was somewhere in the middle. As
usual.
It's interesting to live with guys on your floor. Actually, that's an understatement. It's zany, embarrassing, and
exhilarating. No matter what time of day or night, when I walked down to the bathroom down the hall, or went down a few
rooms to visit a room, I ran into a guy. Sometimes we'd just say, "Hey." Other times we'd chat a bit about the next
calculus test, and sometimes I'd end up in full-blown conversations about intramural football.
So I wanted to be wearing make-up. Even more than that, I needed make-up. Don't get
me wrong: if it was 2 a.m. and I woke up to go to the bathroom, I wouldn't plop on
some lipstick or mascara. But from the time I woke up until the last minute possible
before I went to bed, I kept my make-up on. Sometimes before dinner, I'd
freshen up my lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara. If I worked out, I'd shower and
redo my make-up.
And on those rare occasions when I wasn't wearing make-up (like 2 a.m.
bathroom runs), I'd walk looking down at the ground.
Continues.
