So, this is a tale that has been making the rounds at various family gatherings: Sometimes it takes place in Vienna, sometimes in Baghdad, and occasionally in Ankara. The setting is not as much important as the emotions attached to it. As the story goes, on a gray (substitute city name) day, my mom apparently had a terrible cold, so she decided to place me in front of TV so that she can take a nap. With all her trust in me, she curled under her covers in bed. What probably felt like a short while, must've been longer than she had intended, because when she woke up, the scene could've been from a Tarantino movie: Me, sitting in front of her white lacquer vanity, with her Mary Q eyeshadows all over my eyelids, her Lancome mascara smeared across my eyelashes, her Chanel lipsticks across my cheeks, and her prized Dior blush across my forehead and other various spots across the room... The air infused with L'air du Temps... To put all this in context, these were the times when my parents were at the start of their careers, so whatever money or possession they had was more precious than ever. And there I was, standing in front of my mother's vanity and wasting away...
I often think of this story during the holidays, especially at the end of a year. It becomes more 'real' when the credit card company sends my entire year's purchases in one annual statement broken down into categories. And every year, I make a promise to myself not to waste money on items-du-jour, and start believing in investing in 'classics' that will last forever (although the word "forever" can be a relative term). This, to me, feels like holiday cleaning of the wallet, the closet, the cabinet and the soul.
So, my holiday cleaning started early December. Inspired by a New York Times article "Sans Makeup, S'il Vous Plait (May 25, 2006), I headed directly to my local mecca, the Westchester. I started off with a eggnog latte from 4-bucks (ode to my friends who insist that everything costs at least $4 at Starbucks!) and equipped with a slice of marble pound loaf, I went straight to the Yves Saint Laurent counter at Nordstrom's. I invested in a Touche Eclat- a great all-around highlighter for the eyes, right underneath eyebrows, sides of the nose, and around lips. Apparently, one of the greatest signs of ageing can be seen around your lips as they get darker with age. Who knew? Well, now that was taken care of, I rushed over to the adjacent Armani counter in search of eyeshadows no. 36 and 10. They were waiting for me right there- hooray! Slightly peeking at the price tags, just as unbelievable as the Jets having a shot at Superbowl, I thanked the lovely salesperson, and walked out. Ick! $24 x 2 + tax for a pair of tiny eyeshadows?? I guess some things may remain as classics and admired from afar.
In search of Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer and (now needs to be replaced) Armani-esque eyeshadows, I headed over to Sephora- where quality of service and quantity of shoppers always vary with no statistical support. I always get extremely distracted there: I somehow find myself sniffing Jessica Simpson's (short-lived) whipped body cream, or using Stila lip plumpers, or anything that's not directly related to my purpose. I guess that's the point, right? Anyway... Frustrated by not being able to locate the Laura Mercier products, I left the store with Benefit's Georgia powder (for that overall peach-y sheen), Smashbox's Strobe eyelighters (notice the marketing word- eyelighters, aka. eyeshadow with slight tint of highlighters. Very spork-like!), and Nars Deep Throat blush (who named this one- Robin Byrd!?!?).
I thought of going back into Nordstrom's but a little voice whispered to me that I needed to head over to Costco to get some shrimp for the company we were having later that day. After all, I promised hubby that I would take care of that. "You, you," the voice echoed sounding awfully like Robert DeNiro in the movie "Analyze This" or was it "Analyze That"? I get confused. It was my hubby disguised in that little voice, "get over to Costco!"
Costco, a place of great wonders, and sometimes, treasures. Potentially dangerous. Last year, when I went in to get some meatballs, I came out with three two-ply cashmere sweaters. Who would've thought?? And, the year before, I got a bargain on a winter coat with the fur trim and all. Hmm, maybe there is a pattern?
I headed straight over to the back where the seafood resides. Well... I did take a slight detour by the beauty aisles. As my eyes darted quickly across Elizabeth Arden creams, Nexus shampoos, and then I saw it. It came in a box in a hard-plastic cover. In bold letters, it screamed at me: "Bare Escentuals- seven piece everyday eye collection." I remember you! I remembered you from a conversation I had in Montreal with a cousin of a friend who works for a dermatologist. Her makeup was so incredibly amazing that at the end of our stay, I had to ask her what she used. Very graciously, she said she only used mineral-based products. I remember making a mental note that I would try you. "Duh, Esra! Remember me?" said the box! (Yes, I do have conversation not only when driving with drivers in other cars, but also, at stores with products!) Match made in heaven. With a price tag of a little over $30 bucks, this was my Armani!
With a shrimp tray and my brand-new essential eye collection, I came home. I popped the shrimp in the fridge and the 60-minute disc that came with my eye makeup in the DVD player. I emptied my makeup case of all the old stuff. Feeling rather triumphant and cleansed of old mistakes, I settled down with my cup of Earl Grey with milk & honey...
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