His mother stroked his cheek and asked if he’d had a good close shave. Mark nodded. “Good boy. Sit down. Foundation first.” she said. “I’ll see what I can do with your hair.”
Mark sat and his mother stood behind him, combing his damp hair whilst he applied the pale foundation powder. First she combed it back off his forehead, then in a centre parting. His hair is styled in a typically boyish short back and side with only the fringe to play with which doesn’t leave much leeway. “How about that?” she asked.
“I’m not keen.” he said, seeing his hair parted dead centre and dead straight, with a diamanté hair slide placed symmetrically on each side. His mother said she’d like to get the hairdryer and tongs out and give it some body but his hood would ruin it. “Can’t I just have a side parting or something… without any slides.” he requested.
“You need something in it.” she told him, adding that the diamanté slides go nicely with the glittery snowflakes on his dress and tights. As requested, she combed it in a side parting and held his fringe high off his forehead with the two slides. “That looks nice.” she said. It looked better to Mark than it did with the clips placed symmetrically so he apathetically agreed. Then she began faffing around his ear.
“What’s that?” he asked in a whiny voice.
“Magnetic ear studs.” she said, revealing a single small sparkly stud on his earlobe. “Earrings without the piercings.” she added, before asking if he’d done his foundation.
“Yeah.” he replied, looking up at his mother for approval. She told him that he needs to powder his forehead as well. “I hope Jacob doesn’t laugh at me.” he frowned, smearing the fine pale powder over his forehead.
“I’m sure he won’t.” his mother said, stepping around him and attaching the other magnetic earring. “Right… this is where it gets a little bit tricky.” she said, emptying the little cosmetic bag on his desk.
Mark looked at his reflection, turning his head a little so he could she how the tiny ear studs twinkled in the light. His mother arranged the various cosmetic items in front of him. “I don’t know what to do with any of this stuff.” Mark gulped.
“You know what to do with these.” his mother said, standing the two lipsticks on end and putting them to one side. “Eye shadow is for your eyelids.” she said, opening the little plastic palette. “Mascara is for your lashes.” she said, revealing the tiny brush. “…and this is the eye-liner.” she told him. “The trick is learning not to flinch.” she added, demonstrating on herself before handing the pencil to her son.
“I thought you was going to do it for me?” he hesitantly said.
“It’s best that you learn to do it yourself.” she replied. “We’ve still got a couple of hours so there’s no rush.” she added. Much of the following hour was spent with Mark being coached in the art of applying eye make-up and after many flinches and failures and an awful lot of wipes, he finally managed to apply eye-liner, eye-shadow and mascara. He gazed in the mirror and fluttered his lashes. “I didn’t’ think it’d make me look so different.” he said.
“You don’t look that different.” his mother replied. “But you do look lovely.” she told him. Mark shyly lowered his eyes and they turned upon the two lipsticks. He asked which he should wear. “Whichever you like.” she replied. “I got you a pale pinky one and a darker nutty shade.”
He was naturally opposed to the pinky one so selected the shade she described as ‘nutty’. “Don’t you think it’s weird Mum?” he said after removing the lid and winding up the stick to reveal a reddy brown colour that reminds him of a conker. “One minute women are shunning all this stuff and the next they’re saying it’s for boys.”
