For me this one is pretty simple.I was 16, awkward as heavens and in New York with my mom. With time to kill we walked into Boyd's of Madison Avenue, one of Ms. Monroe's favorite stops in the big apple. A drug store for the Rockefeller set, the place was chock a block full of old money, diamond encrusted scrunchies and women shopping for unmentionables in their late winter mink. (Very against fur in principle, but Boyd's is hard to picture without it.)
Cue middle aged woman with thick NY accent, "Doll, your eyes would be beautiful if your eyebrows didn't look like thick bars on your forehead. Sit down. Let me make you pretty."
Ladies and Bombshells of the jury, I did sit down and I did let her make me look pretty. I was tweezed, rouged and red lipsticked. She told me stories about the famous and infamous that had shopped there and I pretended to know who they were.
An hour and a half later, "Honey, we are done. Go look at yourself."
Three steps to the mirror. What do I look like? Art Deco Goddess? Screen siren in the style of Lamar, Hepburn, Gabor? Surely, I have finally been transformed....
and in a way I had. Screen siren I was not. But my eyes were brighter, lips colorful and smiling. Stripped of insecurities and painted with a hint of blush, I was the person I always imagined people might see if I could stop getting in my own way.
So maybe I had a heart attack when the sales associate rang up all of that make up. Maybe we spent so much we could only afford dirty water hot dogs for the rest of the trip. Maybe self discovery through cosmetics seems superficial. It doesn't matter. For the first time I looked like the girl I knew I was.
Now it is your turn!
Tell us about your favorite bombshell moment in our comments section AND GET ENTERED INTO A DRAWING FOR A COMPLETE MAKEOVER of your own. Contest ends April 30th...Get ready. Get set. Go!
What a wonderful give away! How could you not want a makeover from the most amazing store in the valley! I think me very first bombshell moment was when I was 16 and was getting my very first head shots for theater. I've always loved the camera but this time was special because it was the first time that someone had done my make up for me. The lady was amazing; to her make up is an art and every face a canvas. I have always struggled with my self esteem since I was a heavy child but at 16, I finally started thin out and was beginning to find who I was. To have her do my make up and tell me things like "You have great cheek bones" or "I can't believe how thick your eyelashes are" was the boost that I so desperately needed at that time. And just when I thought that this experience couldn't get any better, she handed me a mirror to see the finished product. I looked amazing! I never thought that I could look that beautiful! Every time I doubt my self or wonder if I'm pretty at all, I remember that moment and realize that no matter how I feel in that point of time, there is always that part of me that is a true bombshell. Thanks Lucille Elaine for helping me feel like a bombshell every day!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite bombshell moment was when I walked into your store for the first time, looking for a cute outfit for my engagement pictures! You, Megan, pulled seriously 20 different outfits for me to try on and thanks to you.. I had an amazing dress to wear for my engagement pictures! I have pictures on my facebook if you would like to see! I am on your friends
ReplyDelete-Megyn Olivia!
Oh, so many awkward moments, what to choose...
ReplyDeleteMy mother was, and is still, not very much of a make-up person. I learned how to wear it from my younger sister. (Yes, sad, I know.) I started buying Estee Lauder in high school with the money from my part time job. One of the counter girls did my make up. I have to say, I remember not being in love with it, but my eyes definitely popped more than before.
My love with make up grew from there. I've had some bad makeovers and some good ones over the years. The only time I feel a smidge of bombshell is when I don't have cookie smude on my shirt.
Never have been much for make up and doing my hair. Was never high on my priority list. At 13 my mother decided to have professional pictures taken. That morning she sat me down and did my hair and makeup. I didn't think much about it. When the pictures came in I was surprised how I looked. Not a bombshell, but I remember thinking that I looked beautiful. I still am not into make and hair as much but I am coming around. I feel like if I always looked perfert then the really special times when I do take the extra step to look nice really makes it that much more special to me. I also love the look when my husbands sees me dolled up.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time I gave myself a fabulous afro, think Annie. I was in hair school at the time and ready to play. I was dating my love at the time, needless to say he was a little shocked when he picked me up for a date that night. A few days later he was working late and sent me a text message that made my heart skip a few beats. He was recording a symphony of some sort and sent, "you'll never guess.. I saw a girl with a red afro and it makes me miss you. Can't wait to see you soon"! I am not sure if I will ever bring back the afro, but at that very moment total bombshell!
ReplyDeleteGrowing up as the only Korean in an Italian/Irish/German family has been quite a journey. (Yes, I was adopted.) My eyes, obviously, are quite different than my mother's. And for better or worse I have LOVED hair, make up, skin, and any other beauty products for as long as I can remember. I both used them and tried to create my own. But when the time came when I was allowed to wear more than gloss and blush neither my mom nor myself had a CLUE as to how and what to apply to my "creaseless" eyes. After a few self esteem wrecking stops at various make up counters, that will remain nameless, I finally resigned to boring neutral shades that I taught myself to do. BORING. Then Alicia, a good friend whom is a hair and makeup stylist came into my life. Her artistry brought color, fun, and glamor to my face and hair for the first time! My world was flipped upside down! Truly, she helped give me the confidence and freedom to fall in love with my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI want to reclaim the girl who rocked "glam" lips freshman year. The gay fashionista thanked me for making the effort. Fifteen years and five kids later, I would like to feel like that again.
ReplyDeletePlain. That pretty much sums up my entire childhood and early teen years. As a child my nickname was "The Egyptian," (given by my older brother, of course). I had stick straight black hair cut to the shoulders and bangs that were cut straight across my forehead. My mom thought it was cute, not plain. Then I turned twelve and the frizz set in. Not curls, frizz. I lived with the frizz for an additional three years. I had no idea where the frizz had come from but I longed for straight hair again. Then one day my older sister visited from college. Luckily,while visiting, she introduced me to the magic of gel and mousse. Out of no where I suddenly had dark beautiful curls and no more frizz, HURRAY! I thought to myself, I like this. I realized I actually had pretty unique hair and not plain old boring hair. Then, a year later another sister took me to a department makeup counter and opened my eyes to the wonders of makeup. After having my makeup done, I looked like a clown, but none the less, a pretty clown. I knew, even with all of that makeup piled on my face that I looked really pretty. At that moment I didn't feel plain, I felt like all eyes were on me.
ReplyDeleteThe moment I walked out of my place of marriage and into the loving hands of family, friends, and best of all, my now husband was the first moment in my life I felt like a true bombshell. I was wearing a vintage Kaleidoscope dress and my hair done in curls. A feather in my hair and kitten hills, all eyes were on me that day.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up I was obsessed with makeup, hair and fashion. A girly girl at heart. I've always been in love with the fashion from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Something about back than was magically in a way. Women were more feminine and embraced their bodies. I've always kept my look really simple. I've been too afraid to try something new but recently with searching you tube I've found some really great people who do tutorials on how to do vintage looks. Kandee Johnson or ilovegerado are two of my favorites. Not only are they great at giving you instructions but are great motivators and such inspiring people. They not only want you to look good but to feel good as well. I think that's what most important about a makeover. I know have the confidence I wish I did when I was younger and a great look to boot. :)
ReplyDeleteSpending two weeks in the hospital without one speck of makeup on my face, one drop of shampoo in my hair, one hint of sunshine on my cheeks, or one single accessory to dress up my drab blue gown did very little to help me feel like a bombshell. Eventually I'd had enough. I was tired of all these friends and loved ones having to share their sympathies with someone so utterly plain. So I devised a plan: I sent my mom on a mission to find the most girly, fabulous, bright candy pink nail polish that money could buy. She came back with the bottle in hand, and it was perfect. We applied coat after coat to my fingers and toes until I sparkled and shined like a true bombshell should. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to remind me that no surgery could steal my sparkle. I am a bombshell, in sickness and in health.
ReplyDelete