Shower Reminiscence and a Reflection on My Makeup Style

Reminiscence while washing off my makeup in the shower: When I was 4 years old, I had a school project which included writing about my favourite Disney princess. I chose Snow White, even though I much prefered Mulan, because she was my mother's favourite. Though I found Snow White relatively dull, I was still enamoured by her appearance — hair as black as coal, skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood. I appear to have unconsciously internalised this ideal of beauty, yet the manner in which I express it is far more grotesque than the princess my mother hoped I'd become. After all, at the same age, when I told my father I wanted to be a princess when I grew up, he told me I should aim to be a queen instead, because they have all the power and a better crown. And no queen worth her salt isn't at least a little evil.




Either subconsciously, or by coincidence, this is all reflected in my appearance. I've certainly taken Snow White's palette as my own, though it's been sharpened by the Evil Queen's arched brows and purple lids. All together, the effect is somewhat reminiscent of Mulan's matchmaking makeup. It's not on purpose though, I only turned to purple once I realised the futility of finding pigmented red eyeshadow at the drugstore. The hue completely clashes with every other blood-tinged thing about me, but surprisingly I'm fond of it regardless. Funnily enough, it's also the same style of makeup sported by Nana Osaki, who I find myself relating to for many reasons I won't get into here. Elaine Parks, another character I relate to for reasons unnamed, was one of my main conscious eye makeup inspirations, is another dark haired woman who uses purple eyeshadow. Is it just a popular colour combination, or does all this mean something?

I spent most of my teens immune to the draw of make up. I didn't care about looking pretty, and recognised the beauty industry for the harmful parasite it was. It's only recently I've really started betraying feminism. It started with just concealer, and now I own an entire makeup bag. While in part it is a means of self expression, a way to signal to others I have great music taste and may or may not be a vampire, undoubtedly I am guilty of also using it to conform to what society deems "presentable" in a woman. If it really was just self expression, I wouldn't cover my dark circles or change the shape of my lips. I am still trying to grapple with my complicity, and while I am bare-faced more often than not, I don't think I have the strength to give it up completely. I do think it's important to simply acknowledge that one's choices don't exist in a vacuum though. That said, I will now hypocritically share my current routine in great detail.

Wanillaberry's Amateur Makeup Tutorial

  1. I begin by applying a grip primer to my face. 
  2. Using a pencil or eyeshadow, I darken my eyebrows without changing their shape and carve them with concealer. I'm not actually sure whether this makes a difference, but everyone else does it. 
  3. Then I mix a peach colour corrector with concealer and pat it onto my under-eyes. 
  4. Next I apply foundation all over my face using my hands, treating it like a face cream.
  5. Dampening a beauty sponge, I blend the foundation using patting motions to get rid of any obvious finger streaks. 
  6. Depending on the coverage, if the foundation hides the mole on my cheek, I draw it back on.
  7. I use an eyeshadow for contour and occasionally blush. I don't actually know how to contour and don't care to learn, so this just consists of lightly swiping a brush over the hollows in my cheeks. The blush is placed in small circles right under the eye. Idgaf about "lifting" my face.
  8. Pressed white translucent powder all over the face. More so to make me look spectral than for any setting properties.
  9. Moving onto my eyes, I put a light to medium purple eyeshadow all over both my upper and lower lids. I darken the outer corner in a wing shape with a dark grey/black eyeshadow.
  10. Using a liquid liner, I draw a relatively short, thin wing that's thickest near the iris. Unfortunately my eye shape makes sleeker eye looks impossible. I soften that out with the same dark eyeshadow as before, and tightline my waterline, before setting that with more eyeshadow. I draw a tiny downward-facing inner corner too. Glitter is non-negotiable.
  11. Then I apply mascara. It is integral that this is not waterproof. Sometimes I'll also add a lash, but usually those are more hassle than they're worth to me.
  12. The lips are easy. Usually red, but sometimes a greyish nude, I'll blend them with my finger and set with the closest eyeshadow shade I have.
  13. FINALLY I seal it all with a heavy duty setting spray. Hairspray will work too.
Anddd that is my very boring makeup routine! I do change it up a bit to make it more/less edgy depending on where I'm going, but the essence is the same. I'm also very much an amateur so all my techniques are likely flawed, but they work well enough. If you're reading this you should try it and tag me teehee.


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