I didn’t used to wear makeup.
Well I guess I did wear makeup, but not often and not well. My oldest sister Christina was/is a makeup aficionado. Her hair was big and blonde and her eyeshadow was flawless, I should have followed suit, but she’s nine years older than me and so I missed the boat on the whole tutorial thing. I suppose that explains why a quick swipe of mascara was the best I could come up with in my teenage years. And unfortunately acquiring hair or makeup skills is not something magically granted to you on your 18th birthday like the ability to buy lottery tickets.
All of this to say that just because I was a legal adult, didn’t mean I was any closer to appearing pulled together. But necessity is the mother of invention, and as the years progressed I managed to work a “day face” into my routine. A bit of shadow, some liner… a little concealer and a clear lip gloss all became part of the uniform that I put on when I had to go into my office everyday. But at night, or on a weekend? No way! Makeup, or curling my hair were for something special like a date or a party. The rest of the time you’d probably find me in yoga pants with my hair in a bun. Then one day I was planning to meet some friends for dinner and on my way past the bathroom mirror I had a moment of pause. I didn’t look great, but I didn’t want to fuss with getting ready. I thought, is having dinner with my girlfriends enough of a reason to take the time to do my makeup?
And almost immediately I answered my own question.
“If not now, then when?” I asked my ill-kempt reflection.
I realized I was living my entire life waiting for a moment to be special enough to try and look, feel, act my best and the truth is… you don’t need a special moment, or any reason at all. If not now, then when? This saying became my mantra and the answer to a dozen different questions.
Should we use the nice wedding china or eat off paper plates?
Should I dress up for a date with my husband or just wear jeans again?
Should I take the time to write a note to a friend? Call Mema and Papa? Bake some cookies for the neighbors?
The answers to all of these questions is the same… If Not Now, Then When?
You’ll spend forever planning out your someday when right now, today, this second, this is all you’ve got… someday isn’t guaranteed!
So curl your hair and do your makeup if that’s your thing. Start training for the 5K. Sign up for salsa lessons or sky diving or learn French, because Readers, there’s no better time than right now… and if you’re not going to do it now, when will you?
Chic Tip: At the top of this post you’ll find a little quote picture I created for you. I hope you’ll post it on Pinterest or your Facebook page or at the very least print it out and stick it on your bulletin board as a reminder. Once you’ve got it up on the wall, make like a Nike slogan and Just Do It! ~Rachel
