Fashion Lab Rat: Make-UP anyone?

Why should one do make-up workshop?

Not for purely vanity reasons. Make-up is more than looking beautiful but it has been used widely to raise self-eteem and confidence. And women who feel good about themselves proved to be better in their performances in both career and interpersonal relationships.

Why would I want to go to a make-up workshop?

As a photographer and a blogger, socializing and client calls are necessary. I have learned in my past experiences that people do measure you in terms of how you look. Sloppy make-up or no make-up at all makes you look inefficient and unprofessional. Upon learning, I groomed myself to look the professional that I am and noticed that people are more at ease and more comfortable with me and what I can do.

I know I am good, so I initially felt that I need not put extra effort in how I look..because, people hire me for my skills. Wrong. At a conference that I attended, one of the major factors that people fail in offering their services is because they fail in impression management. If you don't look efficient, you are most likely to be thought of as inefficient.

The thing is, you can control what you think of yourself, but you cannot control the thoughts of people surrounding you.

Like for example when applying for a job...In the interview, they size you up the moment you come in. And the first impressions you give will tend to condition the mind of employer during the interview. If you look sloppy and plain, you will that you have to work twice as hard to convince the interviewer that you are worth their time. In these type of scenarios (and similar to this), perception,most often than not, becomes reality.

There are a few exceptional individuals of course...unfortunately, I am one ladder below them...so I have to kick ass to prove to other people that I am worth their money. But before I could kick their asses, I have to put my foot on the door to stop it from closing...and that is by packaging myself correctly.

Personally also, I find myself more confident in asserting when discussing a project...maybe because when I'm all made-up, I kinda look credible *tee hee ^.^

My first attempts in make-up is disastrous. I highlighted the wrong features and ended up scaring everyone. Make-up lessons were not available in my turf then...so I ended up experimenting and experimenting -----and experiencing humiliation after another that it became a private joke between me and my mom. Not a very long one though, my mom owned a salon so that embarrassing moment of my life did not last long :P But it was expensive. She had to hire me a personal beautician for all the parties and events that I need to attend...she had the money...but I don't... so I have to learn quickly.

The one thing I was very scared of to do wrong was shape my eyebrows incorrectly. Clean eyebrows equals a clean face. Bushy eyebrows is not very flattering...it makes the most attractive women look unattractive and plain...in some cases masculine. Too thin eyebrows creates false expressions. Eyebrows arched incorrectly is just plain disastrous... do you get my point? so be careful with your eyebrows, it's the one feature that actually defines your face.

My mom would always say that make-up is not about trying to be someone that you are not. It supposed to bring out the best in you...unless you're in theater. The face is our primary tool in communication, and just like we choose the best dress, best gadgets, write the best letters, choose the best selections to represent us; we should groom our face properly and appropriately, because its the only face people will look at and associate us with.

The dilemma always is that when one tends to be beautiful one tends to wish for people to overlook the beauty to find something interesting in the person. That one has characteristics and skills beyond the physical. But most of the time people will only bother to dig deeper than what they see is when they look at an attractive face.

Ironic, isn't it?