Growing Up: My 12th Birthday Gift

 My mom had a theory about little girls wearing makeup or pantyhose—they shouldn't—so, of course, I didn't. Actually, there was one exception. I was a member of the First Baptist Church Girls’ Choir, and my mom DID let me wear pantyhose with my church choir uniform when I was performing. She felt that this was acceptable... since it was for religious purposes and all. 

But on the issue of makeup, Mom held firm to her convictions. No makeup would soil my lovely, young face until I was 12 years old. Now to some folks, 12 may still seem rather young for a girl to be wearing makeup, but please understand that, in Texas during the ‘70s, many girls started wearing blue eyeshadow about the same time that they started wearing training pants. We begged for makeup nearly as much as we begged for Barbie Dolls and Big Wheels!

My 12th birthday loomed before me like a big, steaming pot of chicken & dumplings at the end of a long day of shopping. I couldn't wait! But Mom saw to it that I DID wait! Finally, the big day arrived...On October 2, 1980, my mom presented me with the best coming-of-age gift I could have ever asked for—a full bag of makeup! I say a FULL bag because it was! 

My very first bag of makeup included: 

• CoverGirl Liquid Foundation
• CoverGirl Pressed Powder
• Revlon Peach Blush 
• Maybelline Blue Eyeshadow
• Max Factor Black Eyeliner
• Great Lash Black Mascara and...
• L'oreal Paris RED Lipstick!

Lipstick was, and still is, a priority with my mother. For example, early one Saturday morning when I was in junior high, Mom allowed me to be kidnapped and taken to a Sunday School Surprise Kidnap Breakfast in my PJs, but before I left, she made sure that I "put on a little lipstick" in order to make myself presentable.

I have to admit that I stopped wearing blue eyeshadow while I was still in my teens because, in my opinion, it's just not for most people. I fairly quickly transitioned from the peach blush stick into a rose blush powder. My makeup bag was always jam-packed, and I was giddy with excitement when the Caboodle makeup case was created in the late '80s. Makeup was definitely one of my favorite things! 

Believe it or not, and I would have never believed you if you had told me this on my 12th birthday...but as I grew older and my life became busier, putting makeup on became less and less exciting. In fact, now that I’m in my 50s, I rarely put on much makeup at all. However, if I'm dressing up to go somewhere fancy, one thing is for sure—I always try to remember to "put on a little lipstick"!!