Made Over

"So yes, I'm looking for something that makes me look awake at times...and what the heck is everyone's secret to their liner looking so fresh throughout the day?!"

With my beloved sis-in-law in town, it was the perfect time to steal a few girly moments, our first stop at Sephora to add a little pep to our steps. Because every gal knows a new lipstick means a renewed life...for a good few weeks at least.

Sis was in the market for the perfect red lip to accent her olive skin and big brown eyes, channeling one Miss Taylor Swift. I was looking for anything that made me look better than I really do while still being natural and taking less than five minutes. All a tall order.

With the Sephora store just being two days old and a bit discombobulated, we made our way around it, picking and playing with any shiny object that caught our eye. Two makeovers later, sis walked away with the perfect ruby pout, while I devised a plan to go to hit the old standby, the counter that never let me down: MAC.

Here, a young gal greeted us, her skin so natural and glowing that I just said: "Yes - that. I want to look like you."

Given she was barely 21, blonde, thin and even paler than me, I'm sure she had one of those moments every makeup artist does that sounds a lot like "Honey - I ain't a miracle worker."

But worked her miracles she did and I walked away with:

Blonde Streak shadow: the perfect neutral with a little sparkle -
just slap it on, add some liner and mascara and you're good to go!

Dipdown liner: the secret all along - liquid liner! Lasts all
day despite my insistent rubbing and forehead holding

Mineralize concealer: lighter than I usually do to manage my 2-6 hours
of sleep per evening but does the trick on all that purple

Brow pencil: I didn't believe until a bit of shading meant
a lot more definition to my face - what?

Couple this with my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, Younique lashes and MAC Blunt blush and I'm out the door.

And although even drastic color changes barely go noticed given my daily three-minute makeup jobs or constant lack of touch up, I still feel fresh mid-day, my liner intact and my look updated with what I think a woman in her mid-30s faking it until she made it should look like.

So thank you, friendly 20-something and MAC for winning me over again. Your counter never leads me wrong! I and my colleagues appreciate you...and my boys don't notice. But I do. So thanks.