I have just redeemed all the time, effort and money spent in acquiring my Bachelor’s degree.

I, like many Asian women I’d imagine, have trouble finding the right shade of foundation. I found a brand I really like (Revlon’s Colorstay), but when I tan or pale it’s a hunt all over again. Since I darkened so much in Cancun, I’ve moved from my old office-pallor color (Sand Beige) up a few shades to the one I used in college (True Beige) back in the days when we walked everywhere and the first class is at least 2 miles away from any apartment. Before Cancun, when I had a very slight tan from the incidental sun exposure which could only have come from driving to and from work, I was using an in-between shade (Medium Beige) which still wasn’t quite right, but I sucked it up expecting to darken in Cancun to college-color. And I did. Now, my tan is fading again because apparently the glow from a computer monitor and the flickering illumination from overhead flourescent lights don’t stimulate melanin production, and for a few days True Beige was too brown/red, but Medium Beige was too pale. I expected to go shopping for a new foundation.

Here’s the genius part that started yesterday morning. Yesterday, I put a dot of the darker True Beige on my forehead, nose, each cheek, and chin, then applied the lighter Medium Beige like normal foundation, blending the color. It was a closer match, but still too pale. This morning, I did three dots of True Beige over the same areas but working only one area at a time to help lengthen blend time (Revlon Colorstay “sets” in 60 seconds), and I applied Medium Beige over the areas. My color is perfect. I just got back from the restroom (I worked thru lunch, having been thrown into a criminal courtroom impromptu in the middle of their morning calendar because the clerk’s mom died so she jumped ship in tears) and the color is still perfect, natural, even.

That totally made my day, in spite of the very real possibility that I may be working late for free to get thru this calendar, trying to decipher another clerk’s notes on the cases called this morning.

To the men: If you got this far, thanks for putting up with my hideously girly entry. I believe it’s the only one on this blog so far, so I’m entitled!
To the women: I know, I know, some of you have been doing this self-blend thing for years. But it just never occurred to me until yesterday morning, even tho I’ve blended lipstick and eye makeup for like a decade and a half.