Do you ever realise how important makeup is to a lady? It beautifies but it can also destroy whatever natural good looks you have. I mean just look at Mimi from Drew Carey show and you'll get what I mean. But this morning I've had a very privileged showing of the art of putting on makeup.

I take the morning staff bus to work every day (well, days that I work. Duh!) and this morning I had to share a seat with this Thai lady. She's the typical Thai lady, all petite and dark skinned. Every morning I see her on the bus I've always wondered why she looks so peculiar. Even my friends think so. i'll explain how peculiar it can be later. Anyway, so today by chance I got to sit with her and she hasn't had her makeup on yet so she was putting it on on the bus next to me. Amazing what a little makeup pouch can contain. And what deft movements. one hand with the mirror the other deftly putting on the colours. And the movements of searching through the pouch while holding a mirror and a brush. Amazing. Usually I only take 15 min for makeup for work cos it's the usual foundation, eye shadow, mascara and blush. This lady sharpened her eye pencil, cotton-budded her face, lip-lined her lips, drew in her eyebrows, and etc and etc. I just spend the entire trip to work on the bus watching her.

Anyway, I finally realised why she looked so peculiar every morning and have come up with several makeup rules for people with dark skin.

1. It is not advisable to use very light eye makeup when you are dark-skinned. And if you do, try not to spread it too far out. Yes it lightens the eye area and brightens your eyes BUT you can also end up looking like you went swimming for a long time in the sun with the goggles on. It was a hot look in Japan for a while but not anymore. Those people look that way cos they wear protective eye wear while getting in the self-tanning booth.
2. It is not advisable to use blush powder that has a very reddish/pinkish base. Now I know why this lady next to me looks like char siew every morning. She has a roasted look to her, brown and red.....now I think of wanton mee when I think of char siew.
3. Try not to use lipstick with a brownish base to it. This lady lip-lined her lips with her eyebrow lining pencil, which was dark brown. Very peculiar choice. Are eyebrow lining pencils poisonous?

So the end effect was this lady ended up with super bright eyes that escaped the tanning process, char-siew skin on the face and very dark lips, a darker brown against the brown of her skin, which was pretty dark to begin with. She applied her makeup with such skill and such dexterity, but then it's amazing what the end product doesn't match the skill involved.

don't get me wrong, I do like this lady. i don't know her name but I like her. she was really helpful. Once when i was desperately going to miss the bus she stopped her motorbike by the road and brought me to the bus stop. I just wish I could help tell her to try different colours...