make-up and perfume

yeah, this is a bit of a girly post (and rather pissy)... but, really, in looking at what i'm about to write, i think a lot of guys can relate to it.

first... let's talk about make-up. i love buying make-up, especially eye shadows. when i lived in the States, i'd be one of the first ones at the counters when they were having their free gift w/ purchase, and usually i'd buy eye shadows to get this precious little gift bag. to me, eye shadow says more about a girl than anything else... other than lipstick. i also love lipstick and think a girl can never have too many shades and different varieties of these sweet lil jewels.

guys get into eye shadows too.... or maybe it's just the movie stars, not sure. can't say that i've seen too many arab males walking the streets in eye liner and eye shadow as of late! ;) except for the few from kuwait... and you know who you are! ok ok.. maybe there are a few from bahrain as well, but i think they like to keep it a secret. personally, i think eye liner and shadow on guys looks hot. not too much or anything, but just enough to highlight the eye. in saying this though, i think most in this part of the world think it a very big negative to see a man w/ any sort of make-up on and dismiss it immediately as him being gay, when in all actuality, it doesn't mean that a man is gay if he chooses to wear a little eye liner or shadow now and again, but then again, he could be! and so what if he is. many rockers are sportin' it and most movie stars do too. so to all you arab males and men out there who think it's a bad thing... loosen up!

girls in this part of the world are REALLY into make-up... a little too much for my taste, honestly. i think my first real introduction to this was a few years back when i attended an arab wedding. boy oh boy.... the bride was not to be outdone, that is for sure. i wonder how long it takes to apply so much make-up? i think some girls stay at the salon for hours getting their hair done and make-up applied before attending weddings and for what, i wonder? anyway... another topic for another day.

sometimes when i look at different girls w/ so much make-up on (and i'm talking on an average day, not for a wedding or anything in particular), i wonder why w/ such natural beauty that most arab women have.... why they choose to cover it up w/ so much crap. i guess many think they're highlighting the beauty or something... or i guess they see these arab singers and actresses and such wearing it this way and, just like in the States, they copy it.... altho, i will say that many stars in the U.S. take on a "natural beauty" way of applying make-up instead of applying as much as possible. i don't know - there's a big difference between here and there, i will say that. and another thing... do guys like the arab girls wearing all this make-up?? when do the girls take this stuff off? right before going to bed or do some sleep in it? and it's not just the young girls either.... phew... the older women i see wearing this crap... it amazes me. if my mom wore make-up like that, oh gosh... i can't imagine it. but then... no wonder the daugthers are wearing it like that.

but don't get me wrong, i do like make-up... but not to the degree that i see so many ppl wearing it here. i think a little goes a long way... which brings me to my next point - perfume.

i do love myself some good smellin' perfume. yeah, i like the expensive stuff and the bigger variety the better... altho, i have limited myself as of late and only have about 4 bottles. :(

my mom always taught me that when putting on cologne/perfume, if you can smell yourself, then you're wearing too much. which, honestly, is true. some days, i will have on perfume and not even notice it, but will be some place, near someone and they'll comment on how good i smell. which is always a nice compliment - when someone likes your perfume. BUT.... i don't swim in the stuff before leaving the house and, even still, another person can smell it. the key is **where** you spray it, i think.

it's best to spray it on your pulse points and where you sweat. that way, it will last all day long (if it's a good perfume/cologne) and when you get excited, busy or stressed, then your perfume will do its job.

but you know, ppl don't do this here. both men and women swim or bathe in perfume every chance they get and i don't understand it. the other day, i got some papers from this guy at work and i could smell his cologne on the papers. yeah, it smelled nice, but i wondered what he smelled like if i could smell it all over the papers. when i walk out in the hall, all i smell is cologne and sometimes it's gagging.

ppl spray it all over themselves - from head to toe. and some don't use just one cologne, which is something i don't like to practice. i've seen ppl spray 3 different kinds on themselves.... the thought makes me cringe. maybe the reason is because sometimes cologne makes me sick, especially if it's cheap or these knock off brands, altho some higher priced brands do the same to me if i smell too much of it. when i go shopping, i've never been one to spray one cologne after another onto my wrist because i usually wind up getting a headache or getting sick to my stomach. i find the same happens when i'm out and about w/ my husband or such... i can be standing behind someone in line or walking behind them and will immediately start getting sick to my stomach because of their cologne and even if i don't get sick... there's just something inside of me that doesn't want to smell every joe on the street. smelling someone every now and again is ok but gosh... when does it end???? sometimes i can even smell someone after they've passed me or i'll walk into an area and smell someone after they've gone. now... that's some powerful cologne!

you can't run and you can't hide from it. it's everywhere and i don't get it. why do ppl bathe in cologne??? is it a tradition or the culture? i'm assuming it's the culture, but i also wonder if it's to get attention from the opposite sex. isn't that what cologne is for? attracting someone to you? i know that i like my husband to like my cologne. there's nothing like sweet kisses and the purring sound of "ooooohhhh, you smell good".... to put a smile on my face! :) but how far does one go to get that? why do some ppl want the world to smell them? this is the eye burning question!

one day i was at chili's. i had to make a quick run to the girlie room and when i walked in, i had to take a step back. you could see it in the air. there were prob 4 girls at the counter spraying cologne, doing their make-up and whatnot. after finishing and heading back to my table to sit down, it wasn't any time until i was reminded of the smell because once the girls left their 10 min. make-shift beauty salon and made their way back to their table, which was just a few yards from where we were sitting, i sat there, smelling them. you could smell it everywhere. it was sickening.

i don't know... maybe it's just me and i'm a grinch or something but i really have a problem w/ this. i worked w/ a girl, a while back, that brought her bottles of cologne to the office and sat them next to her. all day, every time the bossy poo would make his appearance, she'd bathe herself in that stuff. we had a small, closed-in office and, on some days, it was more than i could take. i'm not this kind... i spray or dab myself in the mornings and freshen up if going out at night or some place during the day, but i don't spray myself all day long at the office. what's the point? i take baths and i don't stink, so why do it?

i even know ppl who spray it on their hands... maybe that's what that guy did before sending me those papers and that's why they smelled like that. ooohhh... perfume tastes terrible so why put it on your hands. doesn't it get on your food?

smiles and back to that happy place! :)