Let the crazy begin.....

Hi my name is Bri and I am severely addicted to makeup.

Well, all things superficial, really. While most young women my age are either out on the town making some questionable alcohol-fueled decisions or enjoying a series of romantic dates with their significant others, I can usually be found curled up on my couch with a stack of fashion magazines within reach, poring over the Sephora website. You see, I have no interest in the nightlife my city offers as I got those nights out of my system years ago. Also, my city has no nightlife unless you count fighting your way through a crowded country bar to pay for overpriced drinks a nightlife…. In which case my city has a raging one. I also have no significant other in my life and to be frank, no interest in acquiring one either. (More on that later). My hobby is quite simply, MAKEUP. My obsession is real. It is not going anywhere, either, and that has been proven.

 

I started young.

 

One of my earliest memories from my childhood is from when I was about four years old and going through my mother’s makeup bag.  I can still feel the thrill of applying that (horrendously 80’s shade of) lipstick. It transformed me from the tiny, painfully shy young girl into a mystical princess or a fairy queen from some far away land. I was also extremely interested in fashion, and pop culture. Until I was about 8 years old I almost exclusively listened to either Disney soundtracks, or when my father was in control of the stereo, classic rock. That all changed when I heard the first strains of….. Ace of Base.   I was hooked. From then on, celebrity culture and pop music ruled the roost in Bri’s World. Slowly the little girl décor disappeared from my bedroom to be replaced with glossy posters from Tiger Beat of Backstreet Boys, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Hanson.

 

It was around that time I started sneaking makeup to school.

It started off tame, really. Bonne Bell Lipsmackers. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen perfume. Then, curiousity grew. White Wet N Wild eyeliner. Pink sparkly Maybelline eyeshadow. CoverGirl Professional mascara (the blue tube…. And it is STILL around today). When I turned 14 I was allowed to wear makeup to school full-time. Little to my mother’s knowledge I already had been, for quite some time. (I’m sure she had somewhat of an idea but chose not to fight that battle, and for that I am forever thankful!)

 

There was only one option for a burgeoning makeup addict. Get a job.

 

Most little girls dream of being a ballerina, a nurse or even a mother when they grow up. My dreams weren’t so lofty. For as long as I could remember I wanted to “do hair”. A more attainable goal to my 14 year old mind was to get a job in a makeup store. I had recently started working at a large grocery store in my hometown. It was my first job, and although I was a fan of the paycheque I started receiving I felt I deserved a more glamourous setting. I applied for, and successfully received a part-time job in their cosmetic department. Life had never been so good. I felt invincible. This was it. I was set for life. I felt like a celebrity every time I glided through the doors wearing the Holy Grail (in my mind) Cosmetician outfit : The Black Jacket. I had never been happier. I devoured every fashion magazine we sold at work. I was constantly reading reviews of new products, buying the latest and greatest hair and makeup innovations. I was absolutely bursting with knowledge and couldn’t wait to share it with my clients.

 

There was one problem. I had no clients.

 

The store I worked at was an open-sell concept. There was no commission, no customer service, no expertise required. Most of the time I answered riveting and pertinent questions such as “Where’s the razors?” and “Do you have a public washroom?”. I was so ready to talk all things cosmetics with consumers, yet my knowledge was left untapped. I spent most of my shifts putting away new stock, making displays or dusting. I wasn’t experiencing any satisfaction in my job, as I thought I would when I accepted it. Nevertheless, I worked very hard, took every single extra shift asked of me and worked there for 4 years. It was during this time I graduated from High School and decided to take the next step in “becoming an adult”. I moved out of my parent’s home and got my very own small apartment in the big city. I had barely moved all my belongings into my new place when something caught my attention during one evening exploring my new surroundings. My life would never be the same.

 

It was a Shoppers Drug Mart.

 

I was looking for another part-time job as my full-time one wasn’t paying me enough to keep me financially sound. I noticed a “Hiring” sign in the window and decided that it couldn’t hurt to drop off an application. I was called in for an interview relatively soon after. The Cosmetics Manager who interviewed me was pleasant, warm and welcoming. She would also become one of my closest and dearest friends and I still work for her to this day…. But more on that later. I was offered the job and I was ecstatic. At the risk of sounding cliché I seriously had no idea that this job and these people I would work with would change my life, forever. I felt useful. I had customers to assist. I had product lines to learn. My knowledge of everything current was being used, and furthermore, appreciated.

 

I had found my calling.

 

I have been an avid reader of makeup blogs for years and I actually base more purchases than I care to admit off of reviews of beauty bloggers. My makeup collection is intense, and I love nothing more than to research the latest and greatest innovations. But that’s not all I want this blog to be. I want to do what I know best….. talk about things I love. I have no filter, it’s a blessing and a curse. I want this blog to be a place where I can talk about not only all things makeup, but pop culture in general. Clothing. Home décor. TV shows I am loving. Interviewing my friends. Writing about what it’s like to be a young single mom in this crazy world we live in. Dare I say also..... sports? Talking about stuff I love is my passion. So join me on this new adventure. If there is one thing I am certain, it’s that if you are looking for a laugh and to learn something new about something that really does not matter, talk to Bri. I’m always good for it.