Are you in a make up rut?

Many women are stuck in another decade with their look. The blue eyeshadow and orange lipstick from the '50s, conspicuous and deftly painted eyes and pale lips from the '60s, and multi-coloured eyeshadow combination and harsh blush from the '80s are the most common beauty ruts. These are all telltale signs of decades gone by.
    Years ago, when a woman ran out of make up she simply replaced it with the same or matching colour. When she found a shade she liked, she stuck with it... for years and years. Why change a good thing? but like fashion, beauty trends evolve over time and that beautiful shade suddenly looks dated.
    Easing women out of their make up routine can be delicate process. It takes sensitivity and a certain amout of courage. Here are a couple of examples of how I've done it successfully.
   One day a stunning woman named Dani swooped into the spa I was working at. She was fabulous in her artfully crafted 60's  eye make up, frosted lip and Bridgette Bardot bouffant. I could appreciate the drama. But the owner of the spa said to me, "she's stuck in a rut and out of date. Go and do a make over on her." I was aghast because the woman was only in for a manicure.
    As I cashed her out, I introduced myself and handed her an invitation for a fall beauty application. Two weeks later she booked a manicure and also requested some tie with me. It worked! I re-jigged her make up by replacing colours and softening her harsh (but artful) eye lines. I let her hold a mirror for the eye make up and detailing part, and drew it out for her on a face chart. We had a lonely time and she bought several items and tools. Two weeks later she came in for her regular manicure and was wearing most of the new colours with some of her old colours. She looked elegant and modern. I complimented Dani and felt good all over.
   I recently had the pleasure of meeting Rose who is 73 and still working in an IT department of a large corporation. She wanted to "update" her look since the colours she'd been using hadn't been evaluated in over ten years. The muted, matte mauve's, taupe's and violet were doing nothing for her eyes other than making them look tired.
    I introduced her to illuminating foundation which she loved by remarking, "I'll have skin just like the girls at work." I switched her eyeshadows over to clear neutrals that highlighted, softly shaded, cleverly defined and projected her eyes. The look was completed with a raspberry lipstick and soft plum blush. We were both beaming. Rose left refreshed and revitalized. This is why I love to do what I do.
  We all have to be open to change. Women shouldn't be bamboozled into a make over because "others" don't like their look. If someone is happy with her '60s beauty look then so be it. It was a groovy time. But for those who are unhappy with their look but scared to change, it becomes a challenge to learn how to evaluate, educate and entice these creatures of habit and bring them up to speed. After all, who wants to be denied the benefits of looking beautiful?