Go, Shawty, It's Yo' Birfday...!

It's my birfday! I'm so excited! I'm 19 years old now. I can't believe that this time next year, I'll be TWENTY. TWENTY years old! I still feel like I'm sixteen or something!

So today, I went to the mall with some friends (because yours truly is never one to pass up an opportunity to go shopping!). We were looking for a gift for a certain someone (and I shall not mention too many details just in case she happens to be reading this!) and I picked up some great stuff (more about that later for the same reason). Then I went to the Gap and got my old flame, GapScent in Dream! I don't even think I got it because I love the smell, more because it reminds me of my senior year, when my pal Melissa introduced me to the scent. I mean, it smells great, but it's more the memories tied to it that compelled me to buy it. That, and some lipbalm that smells like Vanilla Butterscotch. I'm a lipbalm freak. I just love the stuff. Sue me. Then, we went to good Old Navy. Now, I have never been into an Old Navy before. Honest! No, really! That's simply because I scoffed at the name when I was younger. I thought it was like the Salvation Army. I mean, come on--Salvation Army--Old Navy? They both have branches of the armed forces in their names and they both sell clothes, so I put two and two together and--well, never mind. I didn't find much that I liked except for two darling purses that I instantly picked up. Joy Bryant would have been proud. And they're purple, which is a big deal for me. I don't do purple. But these bags were the perfect color purple. I had to pick them up. And together, they were less than twenty bucks!

Then, I stepped into the world of Clinique. I was in a huge rush so I already had everything I wanted in mind. The lady was really nice but had lipstick on her teeth. I asked her about concealer and she said, "Will you be using the concealer for your undereye circles?" HUGE LET DOWN. I wanted to say no, as a matter of fact, they're for my cheeks and my chin. But I said yes and she tried on a few things. I was in a big rush and felt bad about making her hurry. But in the end I got this great little mini kit that came with Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, the All About Eyes stuff she was insisting I buy, a mini version of Clinique High Impact Mascara, the cutest little lipstick in a shade called Pure Posh--and I don't wear lipstick, so that's saying a lot--and a darling little eyeshadow kit that contained shades like Rum Spice and Beach Plum. Oh, and I got my concealer--I ended up telling her what shade to give to me and it matched my beloved Cargo concealer perfectly--and she also threw in a few treats. Since it was Halloween, I got a bag full of candy with Clinique's clarifying lotion (the second part of the famous three-step system) a sample of Clinique Happy (which smells absolutely divine), and when she found out about my birfday she threw in another fab mascara, the new Clinique High Definition Lashes Mascara with the comb on one side and the brush on the other! I was so superexcited about my new beauty swag that I didn't even care about the concealer comment.

Okay, here's my thing about concealer and my undereye circles. I've had those puppies since I was a wee lass. I don't know why or how; they've just always been there. I used to hate them. I'd look in the mirror and just want to die. But now that I'm older I've come to realize that they're kind of part of who I am...and they're not that bad. I guess it's that one imperfection that shows that I'm human. When I cover the area with concealer, I really don't like the way it looks. Every time I go to a counter and get my makeup done, they insist on working on that area without even asking me if I'm okay with that. Truth is, I sorta like my circles. They're a part of who I am. I don't like covering them up because, in the words of my friend Ashley, it looks like "your husband beat you and you're trying to cover up your black eyes". She's right, though. I'd rather be honest and free than look insecure, and look like I'm trying to cover something, and doing a bad job of it. Now, once I find a method of getting rid of these bad boys, my philosophical moment goes out the window. But, until then, I ain't covering these babies with concealer. No, siree, Bob.

Plans for tomorrow: I probably will just casually go out to eat with some good friends. I also plan on treating myself to Iman's The Beauty of Color, edited by my favorite ex-beauty-editor-now-author, the Tia Williams. I've been holding off but I deserve it. Now, there's a book that shows you how to rock who you are. Be proud of your skin color, be proud of your freckles, that mole underneath your eye. But that doesn't mean I won't be trying the All About Eyes before beddy bye time, tonight! Light a candle of hope for me, ladies!

From the birfday girl herself,
Brittney