Diary

This month there was a make-up workshop on the afternoon before the T&T-evening. Many nice pictures have been made this afternoon, but we have also made an agreement that we won't out each other by posting pictures on the Internet. It is such a pity many people are scared to admit to the outside world they like to present themselves as females! What harm does it do? I complied with this agreement by showing my fellow-participants in the workshop only in non-recognizable form.

Marcha was our teacher. She often does these workshops for Ts.
We started with some background knowledge. There is an important difference between creating an every day acceptable look and dressing up for a T&T-evening once a week.
We did get some printed information to be studied at home. In it are for instance some historical facts about make-up. Many of the materials we use today were already used by the ancient Egyptians as well.

First of all it is important to know something about your own face. Just like a painter will study his canvas before beginning a painting.
We filled out some questions about our own face and also about the girl sitting next to us. Afterwards we compared these notes. It turns out that others often look at us quite differently than we look at ourselves.
It is important to know about your skin type and you have to realize, different parts of your face can be a different type of skin.

Every day our skin is confronted with unhealthy influences from outside. Exhaust gases, acid rain, cigarette smoke. The make-up protects against that.
"But you want us to smear something into our skins ourselves", I objected: "Isn't that just as harmful?'
No, it is not as bad as it seems. All make-up has been dermatologically tested nowadays, it is much more healthy than all the filth that is floating in the air around us. Marcha advises us to at least use a daytime cream. Long ago people used make-up that was lead based. Yes, that is harmful! With such make-up it is just a matter of time before you skin is destroyed completely.
Foundation is the primer for you make-up: It closes the pores, it absorbs light and it makes your face look smooth.

Do not use alcohol on your face. Do not use an aftershave after shaving. That hurts and it is no wonder it does! After shaving lightly rinse your skin with water, wait for a while and then apply your daytime cream. If you have bleeding wounds after shaving you can stop the bleeding with alum.

Make sure you store your make-up in a practical way. A tool box from a DIY-store will do nicely. And make sure you don't have too much: Buy only what you need en throw out old make-up. It decays! Mascara is made from the white of eggs. You can only use it for three months!
"Mine is four years old!"
Throw it out! You need to take good care of your eyes!

It is very important to use the right brushes and/or sponges. Marcha has twelve different brushes. Good brushes are expensive, but they last for a lifetime. Good brushes are made of real hair and can be cleaned with warm water. A long handle is very useful: It makes it possible to see what you are doing and it helps you sit in the right posture while applying your make-up. Sponges from the theatre shop are not suitable for normal make-up: They suck up too much of your expensive make-up and they have a structure that is too coarse.

After the interval we start the practical work. I had brought all the make-up mess I have gathered over the years, but I don't even know what some of these products are for! I had to get out the reading-glasses to decipher the little printing on the bottles.

Eventually I make my plan: I will not use foundation, but a tinted daytime cream instead. I will apply a very light-colored eye shadow. My eyes lie very deep in my face and there is too much shadow above them. I need to make that area lighter, not darker!

But what should I do with my eyebrows? I hate the look of those. And if I make them darker, they will draw even more attention, won't they? I ask this question to our teacher and of course it is immediately my turn the come to the whiteboard in front of the class. Marcha discusses my skin type (and the unhealthy condition of my skin). She advises me to stop smoking and to drink lots of water. I should have a beautician work on my eyebrows. But she does apply some color to them, because they do not contrast enough with my complexion. It does have a remarkable result!

I think my mascara smells just fine, so I apply it anyway. I don't need no rouge. That would only add a dark area on my face where there is a shadow already: Do not use make-up where it is not needed.
Finally: the lips. Marcha had advised us to do some experimenting, so I used my lip pencil to color the whole surface of my lips this time. Marcha suggested that would last longer than normal lipstick. Finally I applied some lip gloss and I was ready to go!

After the workshop we all went to Kiekerjan's for dinner. We usually do that after any afternoon-event at T&T-Eindhoven. The restaurant had been completely redecorated and the menu had changed since I last was there. There was a great atmosphere and the food was delicious. Our photographers were unstoppable by now and kept on taking pictures of us.

And then we all headed back the community building where the T&T-evening was already in full swing. This evening it was more busy than ever and I think the girls behind the bar have had to work very hard this time.
There were also plenty of activities. There was a company from Turnhout selling clothes, bras and jewelry. They also sold the 'All Natural Bra', well-known from TV commercials, but at a price of 10 Euros instead of the usual 50!
Of course the ladies from Medi Skin Care were there for laser hair removal and our friend Amélie played several tunes on her hurdy-gurdy. This time there were even people dancing to the hurdy-gurdy music, it was a great success!
For me the highlight of the evening was the photo shoot for the participants in the make-up workshop. Honestly, I never felt so much at ease in front of a camera! And here is one of the pictures that was taken of me:



Previous T&T-evenings: April, March, February, January, December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May and April 2004.


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