I couldn't make this up......

Makeup....something that has been a part of my life forever. I grew up in a house with a Mother who would not, under any circumstances, leave the house without her "face" on. Now we are not talking about the kind applied with a trowel, so heavy you can't see the women underneath. No....just enough to put a bit more emphasis on her natural beauty. However, she slept in it , woke up in the morning, removed whatever was left ( most of which ended up on her pillow ) and would immediately reapply. She never, ever let water touch her face....she used some sort of greasy cream to wipe it off. Why she never had skin problems is beyond me. I leave something on my skin and by morning ( even in my late 50's ....ackkkk ) I have what is gently referred to as a blemish aka a zit!!!

Now I do realize that back in those days women took great care in how they presented themselves in public and part of that was cosmetics. Look back at pictures of Liz Taylor, with whom my mother shared a birthday, and one sees that makeup was the standard of the day, although not to the extent Hollywood embraced. Still, no woman was seen in public without her foundation, lipstick , her eyebrows groomed, mascara and probably blush and powder ( to "set" the whole thing ). Even my grandmothers adhered to this standard.

I never took it that far. I have been washing my face, morning and night, all my life and so far I dont look like an armadillo in the skin department. I am ( still sorta, though there is gray in there too ) blonde and so are my brows and lashes. For many years my makeup "routine" was basically some kind of moisture and some mascara ( you cannot see the lashes otherwise ) and some blush. I never "did" my brows until a daughter convinced me that brows frame the eyes so I kind of draw over the few sparse hairs that reside over my eyes and they look ok. I have always thought I looked funny in lipstick, hated the nasty feel of foundation and likewise with the whole powder thing.

Now I do try and cover up the dark circles and use a bit of color on the eyes ( bland basics like tan and brown...no greens or purples ), still use something to moisturize with an SPF of at least 25 and blush. However, I decided to try a foundation since these too have a sun protective factor. Ok....I found one that is described as a "mousse", something that used to involve chocolate and was eaten...not applied to hair or face. Light in texture ( the package assured me ) not cakey or heavy. Okie dokie...sold. And it is...there is hardly any difference with or without it and that is a good thing.

But things have changed. I am pretty sure that never, ever, in the history of the world, has any form of makeup come with a warning that it might, if exposed to heat, EXPLODE. I kid you not. There is a red label on the bottle which cannot be seen prior to opening, that says if you heat it ( and really, why would you do that ?) it can blow up. Seriously. Pow, bam, KABLOOY.

Not sure I will use this stuff often but I know for a fact that I will not be storing it next to the stove.