The First Time I Wore Make-Up

By Sondra Forsyth

I was a ballet student from the time I was a little girl. The year I turned eight, our end of the year performance was scheduled for the Fisher Theatre in Detroit with a live pianist. Our teacher encouraged us to wear stage make-up, albeit a minimal and tasteful version, and she gathered us all for a demonstration of how to apply the make-up. We were all very excited!

On the day of the dress rehearsal, I sat in the dressing room in front of a mirror with lighted bulbs all around it, and I carefully applied my make-up. When I was finished, I stared at my image for a long time, thrilled and amazed. What a transformation! From that moment on, I’ve been hooked on wearing make-up. I love the way it enhances my look. I know this may sound trivial, but I don’t think it is. Whatever we can do that makes us feel better about ourselves is valuable. For me, wearing make-up falls into that category.

My opinion on the matter was bolstered one Christmas morning a couple of years ago when I was visiting my daughter and son-in-law and two precious grandsons. As soon as I heard the boys get up, I rolled out of bed, brushed my hair quickly, pulled on my robe, and headed for the living room in order not to miss a minute of the magic when it came time for opening the gifts Santa had brought. My daughter and son-in-law weren’t up yet. The boys were patiently waiting to tear into the gifts. The minute I arrived, my older grandson stared at me and then said, “Nana, you don’t look like yourself!” He wasn’t being rude. He was being honest in the way that eight-year-olds are. I had to laugh. “OK,” I said. “Looks as though we have a little time before your parents get here. I think your mom is in the kitchen now making coffee and sweet rolls, the way she always does on Christmas morning. That will take a while. So come with me and you can watch me put on my make-up.”

He followed me eagerly, although his six-year-old brother decided to stay back and play with the dog. The eight-year-old watched with utter fascination as I put on my foundation and moved on to eye make-up. He wanted a running commentary, which I gave him. When I was finished, I looked in the mirror and he looked at my image as well. He clearly had the same reaction I had had back when I was eight and put on my stage make-up for the first time. “You looked nice before,” he said, “but you look nicer now. You look your best!” I couldn’t have agreed more.

That incident underscored for me my own feeling that if wearing make-up lets me “look my best”, the practice is not at all trivial. Hey, in a world full of challenges and difficulties, every little bit of self-confidence boosting helps! Here’s to my blush and my lipstick and my mascara. So much pleasure for so little effort. I’m now officially a make-up junkie for life!

Sondra Forsyth is a Co-Editor-in-Chief of thirdAGE.com.