“It’s one thing aiming a pencil at ceramic, Maddie. It’s another thing when it’s coming toward your eye, and you’re afraid you’re going to blind yourself if you sneeze.”
Hopping up on the bathroom counter, she watched me remove it all. “It’s highly doubtful you’re going to stick the pencil through your eye, Sienna. Have some faith.”
When I went to remove the rest of the makeup from my face, though, she held a hand up. “It’s easy to repair the damage, so there’s no need to do your whole face all over again.”
Patiently, she took me through fixing the foundation and concealer under my eyes. Then she educated me slowly on putting a base color, another color, then the main one on top and blending it all together. This time, she gave me a pen version of the black eyeliner, and it made it so much easier.
Taking a step back once it was all done, I blinked at my reflection. Instead of the green from before, we’d gone with lightly applying a light brown in the crease, and a darker one on the outside of my lids and under my eyes. Even I liked the way it suited my coloring and made my eyes look more almond shaped.
“Next time, I’ll teach you how to wing it,” she squealed, hopping down from the counter excitedly. “It’s like having a doll to dress up.”
Putting the makeup back into the large boxes she’d brought them in, I pointed out, “I wing life every day, girl. And I’m pretty sure I just winged putting makeup on.”
Rolling her eyes, she smacked me hard on the ass. “I mean long lines that you flick out at the sides. I’ll bring some tape with me, so you’ve got a guide to draw along.”
All I could picture were long lines coming out from the sides of my eyes across my temples, and it wasn’t a good mental image, so I cringed.
Resting her chin on my shoulder, she stared at me in the mirror with sparkling eyes. “Look it up before you dismiss it, boo.” Then, pulling back, she eyed my hair.
“The makeup we did on you is subtle and discreet, and it suits your look. For parties and going out at night, you just add a little more and deepen it so it looks smokey. I was going to do your hair, but with this makeup I think you’re just fine with your ponytail.”
Eyeing myself critically, I had to admit she was right. “I’m not even sure what I could do with it. It’s naturally straight, so I don’t need those things that flatten it down.”
“Their scientific name is flat irons or straighteners.”
Raising my eyebrows, I asked, “It’s a science now?”
Gesturing to my face and then down to the makeup on the counter, she raised an eyebrow. “After all of that, you don’t believe beauty’s a science now?”
She had a point.
“Back to my hair—what kind of thing could I do to it, besides wearing it down or up?”
“Curl it, pin parts up, messy bun, classy bun, artful mess, tease it—”
“I’m a redhead, I think it’s used to the teasing,” I pointed out.
Rolling her eyes again, she went back to the list. “We could cut bangs, we could layer it so it looks heavier, we could flick the ends out, we could get extensions put in, we could get some highlights put in, lowlights… The possibilities are endless.”
“Forget I asked.”
Wagging her finger at me, she sang, “Ask a stupid question, get schooled.”
“Schooled?”
She was just turning her head to reply when her eyes caught on something—my makeup bag. Her head jerked, and then her eyes lit up.
“Wait! Wait, wait, wait a minute. Does this mean,” she stopped and clasped her hands under her chin. “Do I get to take you cosmetics and beauty products shopping?”
Holding my hands up in front of me, I shook my head. “No, I don’t do shopping, you know that.”
Grabbing her phone off the counter, she shook it in my face. “Duh, do you think I don’t shop on my lunch break?” Then looking to the side, she mumbled, “Or any break. I mean, I don’t always hit buy or actually checkout the million things in my basket, but I do hit shop on a stupid amount of ad links.”
Looking up, she noticed I was thinking it over while I chewed on my nail and hit my hand away from my mouth. “Mala. Don’t do that.”
“You’re calling me bad and telling me off for chewing my nail? I’m twenty-nine.”
“If you’re embracing the awesomeness of beauty, you must embrace it from head to toe.” She glared down at my toenails. “Thank the beauty gods I brought some nail polish with me. You might not be able to have a manicure because of what you do every day, but, girl, you’ve got to stop chewing on your nails.”