It’s not often I talk about make-up. It’s not that the subject isn’t interesting to me it’s more a case of it being of interest to anyone else! Even though I am an electrician and get a bit dirty in my work, I still wear make-up. Many women shy away from making themselves look pretty and presentable and this shows not only in the absence of make-up on their faces, even if only a little lipstick but also in their dress styles. I say styles but ‘style’ is obviously not in some women’s vocabulary. I like wearing make-up because it makes me feel better as a woman and dare I say more beautiful. I am often complimented on my appearance and especially my complexion, people taking me for a much younger woman. Once in a while at work I might say jokingly, ‘Im too old for this work, I should be retired’ and I get strange looks from my clients because they haven’t realised how old I am. Occasionally I will ask them to guess my age but they always get it wrong. When I tell them, and I am not ashamed of my age as some people might be, they look at me in disbelief. I suppose they will be thinking how I can do my job at my age and yet when they see my work they can see that I am capable. Sometimes when I arrive at a job I get peculiar looks and then I am asked, ‘Have you just come to assess the work’? They suppose that because I am wearing make-up and look somewhat too well dressed for work that I am only carrying out a survey. When I tell them I am there to carry out the work they seem surprised. I have been accused of looking a bit glamorous for a working electrician! I don’t mind. I’d rather be wearing my make-up than not, even at work!
I spend very little real-time in applying my ‘war paint’, ten to fifteen minutes is all it takes me. After I have washed/bathed or whatever, I apply a moisturizer which dries in a minute or two. Next I apply a compressed powder using a brush. I then apply a small amount of blusher to my cheekbones, again with a brush. At this point I will apply lipstick, a long-stay lipstick and while that is drying I start on my eyes. I seldom wear eye-liner so usually I apply a base colour depending on what colour clothes I am wearing and follow this with a darker shade, most usually black applied lightly and fading into the base colour so that it appears darker near the lashes fading in to the base colour as it reaches the socket crease. I may highlight the corners of the eye with more of the dark colour which has the effect of making my eyes look wider. When I am satisfied with the shadow I apply mascara, usually in brown but occasionally in black depending on the occasion. Last of all I lightly enhance my eyebrows in brown, their natural colour. I then apply the lip colour sealer which is supposed to be applied at least a couple of minutes after the colour. All I need to do then is do my hair and put in some earrings. I usually wear an Alice Band and perhaps have my hair in a bun to prevent it getting in the way at work. If not at work I may usually wear my hair long. I do this routine every day whether I am at home or not. I sometimes never know for certain if I will be going out so I get ready just in case. Well I cannot disappoint my public can I?

Shirley Anne