A Long Line Of Irish Beauty Queens

My uncle used to call my mother and her five sisters “frustrated actresses” meaning they were all capable of being movie stars, but decided to be mothers and housewives instead. And it was true they were the most beautiful group of raven haired blue-green eyed beauties you could ever hope to encounter.

Black Irish is the term used for this combination of fair skin, dark hair and light eyes that they all shared.

As a result of this genetic good fortune I grew up around women who kept their mirrors and makeup in their kitchen pantries. I myself was a tree climbing tomboy, but I would sit and watch my mother paint her nails and put on her makeup with a lighted mirror at the kitchen table. The makeup alone took one hour. The hair another hour. Nails another hour. She never left the house looking anything less than flawless.

As for myself, I don’t have this kind of time. But, I benefited from their knowledge and have devised a beauty routine that takes about ten minutes.

Today, I’m sharing this wisdom in memory of my Irish relatives and the beautiful women I grew up with.

Hair:

I wash my hair, spray it with a shine product, and twist it into a bun. In about an hour, I take it down and it is wavy and shiny. I rarely use a hair dryer or heat on my hair.

Makeup:

I do my makeup in the car at the stoplights. And this is what I use:

• Maybelline, Fit Me Foundation, in Classic Ivory, SPF 18. This is good stuff.
• Chanel, Healthy Glow Sheer Color Powder, #20. I don’t know what’s in this, but it’s awesome.
• Chanel, Powder Blush, 72 Rose Initial. Perfect light pink. Love it.
• Revlon, Color Stay, #30. They are not kidding when they call this color stay. I put it on once a day.
• Chanel, Rouge Allure, Create #142. Love the color, but it doesn’t last as long.
• Chanel, Rouge CoCo Shine. In Monte Carlo #62 and Adventure #57. The long wearing lipstick dries your lips, so these sheer hydrating lipsticks are nice to touch up with.
• Essie, Ballet Slippers. A classic white for hands and toes. Perfect sheer coverage.
• Jo Malone, English Pear & Freesia. I wear this in winter. It’s a very warm floral. In summer I wear Grapefruit and Lime-Basil in the same brand. In the shower I use the Pomegranate Noire bar soap.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Happy Birthday to my beloved and beautiful Auntie Pat.

Love and Blessings.