How to Make a Turnip Beautiful

I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So is turnipness. I'll explain.

I finally visited the big beauty store in our mall a few weeks ago. It opened about a year ago I think. They offer a wide variety of cosmetics, hair care products, fragrances, etc, and a full service salon too.

I usually shop discount chain stores for personal care items.  I use name brands but not anything very expensive.


But I decided that it would be worth it to invest in some high-quality concealer. This is because I use a glaucoma medication (eye drops) daily and I have for eighteen years. One of the side effects is that it darkens the skin pigment around the eyes.

I've always worked hard to conceal my purplish-red lids and under-eye circles. Other than glaucoma, I'm generally a healthy person! But believe me, without makeup, I look very tired and ill, maybe even like I'm on drugs. Well, I'm not on drugs but my eyes have been for many years!

I had eye surgeries last winter and as a result, I no longer have to wear thick glasses. This is just wonderfully amazing and I'm still adjusting to the change! But- my dark circles are more noticeable than ever, without my glasses to distract from them. The cheaper products just don't work well for my situation now.  Besides, who wants to feel self-conscious all the time?

So, when I told the nice saleswoman in the black lab coat my story, she was happy to help. She immediately brought a product for me to try. I sat in the salon chair and she applied it for me.

I must say, she is gooood! The very first thing she suggested worked. What a difference!
So I was quite pleased and ready to spend about fives times more money than usual for the high quality makemuck. (That's what my four year-old granddaughter calls makeup. Sounds right to me!)

Before I had the chance to jump up, the well-trained cosmetologist/mind-games expert said "I have another product for you to consider. It's a special cream for under-eye bags." (Bags? Do I have bags?!)  I told her no thanks, because bags aren't my bag (I mean my problem), just discoloration.
She lowered her voice and quickly added "But it's good for wrinkles too", as she gently touched the smile lines on the outer corner of my eye.  Oh Lady, you are smoooth. Definitely more so than the skin on my face.

While she was up-close-and-personal, she casually mentioned that I might like to have my eyebrows done by their excellent person. She warned me that it cost more than most places in town, but well-worth it! Their tech would wax my brows, then sell me a pencil so I could fill them back in. Umm, riiiight! What's the point?

I'm fine with my brows. When I start looking like a cave woman, I'm happy to let a student at one of the cosmetology schools do them for me. They get experience. I get a low cost but good brow shaping and my originals stay intact.

I politely told the overly-made-up but lovely esthetician "No thank you, not today."
I wanted to say something else, but I bit my fifty three year old tongue.

I wanted to inform her "Hey, I know what you were doing. I recognize your sales psychology. Yep, the "you are not attractive enough the way you are" trick and the "that's why you need to spend your money here" ploy. Yes, she made sure to point out my 'flaws' in an oh-so-subtle way.

Very tempting, it was, to proclaim "Listen, I'm older than you
and I didn't just fall off the turnip truck."

But that might have been a bad idea, because I think she is well-skilled in making women worry that they do resemble turnips. And Miss Prissy Pants has just the remedy for that! She even has a special camouflaging makemuck to cover up those bruises. You know, the ones you got when you fell off that turnip truck.

So girlfriends, my final thoughts to share are these:
Look in the mirror and appreciate what you see, the uniqueness that is you!
But if there is something that really bothers you, it's okay to do what you can with what you've got.
I believe that a balanced approach to these issues is the healthiest way.

You are the most important beholder of your own beauty. Especially your inner beauty!
Keep your amazingly attractive brain turned on and your emotional wits about you under pressure.
You are not a turnip and don't let anyone convince you otherwise.