Disclaimer
Do Not Try This At Home
As a mom of three preteens/actual teens, it's rare that I get a chance to even put a wee bit of mascara on, currently, I am on leave and recovering from my last live performance: in all my two-day-old pajama glory with unbrushed hair (yes, I will be fetching the kids from school like this 🤣).
Life, for me lately, has taken a massive turn and fate has somehow decided that 37 is a good age for all my dreams to suddenly come true, and while I am absolutely ecstatic, I must say that I am certainly somewhat underskilled for someone who can't afford a personal makeup artist of hair stylist (not yet anyway). So for now, practice will have to make perfect!
My sister used to use me as her makeup guinney pig. We both did dancing and dressed up to the nines every Halloween. I experimented with a bit of stage makeup as a kid and worked as a clown (ssshh).
A willing guy friend of mine was always happy to help us girls out (I think he liked the attention from all us girls) and was always really excited about trying on our dresses and letting us do his makeup and nails! He grew up and eventually ended up in his own rock band in London.
I like to think that's where he applied his makeup lessons 🤣🤘
I then really got into heavy goth makeup to match my fishnet stockings, ridiculous boots and spikes.
I even did a stint working for a makeup company where I picked up a few tips here and there for corporate makeup, but there's nothing like actually being photographed and filmed on stage to make you realise that you may need to upskill.
Luckily, as far as hair dying goes, I've been dying my hair with box hair dye since I was 14, and have even been known in local legends to get it right while hanging upside down over the grass with a hose pipe in one hand and a bottle of Smirnoff in the other - that's a story for another day though. I have, however, become pretty good over the years at touching up roots and saving myself ZAR1000 a pop at the hair salon when I can buy a box of hair dye for around ZAR100. It really does mean that I have to invest in good conditioner though. Believe me, the fact that I even still have any hair is a miracle, and I malt like a golden retriever.
It's been every colour you can imagine, but I always seem to come back to blonde. They say we have more fun, and I can't disagree 😜.
So back to the matter at hand, @JasperDick and I had an incredible show on Tuesday evening, and I needed to dress the part.
I started on Monday night with the hair dye, because, If it was a mess up at least there would still be time to shove another coat of something else over the top. I used a different brand to my usual, as I have found for some reason, it has been making my hair orange - which is the absolute bane of my existence, having been born a bit of a Gingey myself, every time I peroxide my hair, I have to use ash blonde and possibly add gentian violet to my conditioner or use that expensive black shampoo. I chose this particular shade of Garnier Nutrisse this time, even though it's double the price of my normal brand, because it has an excellent aftercare conditioner, and it really does retain natural tones and highlights, which is a feat for hair like mine, which is nowhere near natural.
I find you also shouldn't judge your colour straight after dying. It can take between 1-3 full days to settle. It looked a little odd on the evening, but the next day while blowdrying and straightening, I was very satisfied by the coverage and colour distribution, as well as the colour itself.
After getting out of the shower, and plonking infront of the dressing table, with no makeup on and just undies, it's easy to feel like a pale sickly blob, so I decided to take some before pics and actually watch my transformation and I must say, I don't think I did too badly!
I applied base (samples which I've honestly pinched from friends and coerced out of shop assistants) using my fingers at first and then one of those base blender things that looks like it's meant for something else 😈... ssssshhhh and then smoothed it over my face ensuring I covered my hairline, neck, and chest. There's nothing worse than seeing a person who hasn't blended properly and he/she ends up looking like a clown.
I stole my daughter's glittery pink Tinkerbell makeup to highlight my smokey stage eyes and to compliment my cerise pink dress. I used a volumising mascara and I used a liquid eyeliner for maximum impact. I did not apply blush, but it did brush some of this lovely bright pink blush onto my eyelids to add to the pink effect, and it worked well.
I kept the lips simple and did not need lipliner. I used a girly pink with a glitter gloss - which did require constant touching up.
All in all, my outfit and makeup went from drab mom in a nightgown to babydoll-goth-startlett quite well, I think.
Also, just FYI, the show absolutely ROCKED.
A special shoutout to my phenomenal partner for helping me get in and out of the most awkward undies and fat-squishy things and helping me in and out of outfits, helping me with hair and makeup and generally just being completely awesome. @ZakLudick I love you!
Here's a snap shot of each stage!
