A little bit girly

I am not a girly-girl. I don't have fancy silk pajamas or sexy panties. I don't have a closet full of fancy shoes or a box full of expensive jewelry. I wear cargo pants and khakis to work and am happier in a pair of blue jeans and boots than I am in a skirt and heels. I go for quick and easy rather than feminine and elegant. I have a pair of loafers for work, two pair of tennis shoes (one for mowing the lawn and mucking around in the yard and a nice non-green stained pair for going to town), a pair of sandals, a pair of flip-flops and riding boots. Each pair has a purpose, and when one pair wears out, I buy a new, similar pair to last another year or so.

I indulge in my girly desires with endless bottles of scent, whether oil or perfume or body spray, and I have an array of yummilicious smelling soaps and lotions. I have an aroma for every mood, from silly cotton candy to sexy jasmine or soft sandalwood. While I drape my body in easy-to-wear, no-iron clothes, I do like to smell sumptuous beneath it all.

When I run out of make-up, I head to Wal-mart and pick up the cheapest eye shadow or mascara in the best colors I can find. I'm not terribly picky, and some of the shadow I have I've used for so long the company has discontinued the colors. I've been wearing regular "old-fashioned" powder eyeshadow since I was old enough to sneak some of the forbidden substance onto my lids during the bus ride to school. I never had a desire to try anything different and even found myself growing annoyed by row after row of creamy, crease-free, use-your-finger-to-put-it-on eyeshadows. My beloved powders were disappearing and, honestly, I didn't know what to do. I thought I'd just have to stop wearing eyeshadow altogether, because dammit, change is hard when it comes to something I've been doing since I was 12.

Last week, I finally caved. I spent nearly an hour in the make-up section, examining, reading, comparing, criticizing and testing nearly every single little eyeshadow compact. I'm sure the Wal-mart associate with badly dyed black hair thought I was stalling so I could try to slip something into my oversized black bag without paying. Oooh...I hate feeling watched like some common criminal. Especially when I'm actually trying to be an informed consumer, dammit. I finally found a color combo I thought I might enjoy and plunked down a few more bucks than I'd typically be wont to spend on makeup. It's a gorgeous palette of sage green, espresso and two light shimmery, shiny versions of the darker hues.

I. Love. This. Eyeshadow. Oh! My! It's so smooth and silky and easy to use! And I don't get little glimmery flecks of shadow dust on my cheeks to walk around with all day long, feeling like a fairy met an unfortunate end on my face. I can't believe I missed out on this stuff for so long. I just may have to buy more. In lots of colors. Purples! Greens! Blues! The world of creamy shadow awaits!

But I'm not budging on the shoes. Okay, I'd budge to get a nice pair of purple Wellies for mucking around in the mud. While wearing shorts. And a big straw sun hat.