Last month I lost my auntie BB. I didn’t take it very well.
No disrespect to my mom but she provided a whole lot for me when mom couldn’t.
She was there when I was having a hard time finishing college and she and her
daughter were there when I didn’t have anyone else to turn to in loaning money
for mom’s hospital bills when she had a stroke back in 2015. Man that sentence
was a mouthful. I broke down at the airport when I learned of the bad news.
Still in denial that she’s now with our creator.
Auntie BB knew how much I loved makeup. I remember those
days when I barely could afford to buy lunch during college. A P150 ($3) eyeliner
was a huge deal for me. I’m looking over at my makeup collection now and I don’t
even want to calculate dollar for dollar how much all of this cost me (it’s
ridiculous, I’m not proud of it either). I remember her coming home from Malaysia
almost a decade ago and brought me a bagful of makeup. They were drugstore, but
even American drugstore brands are overpriced at the Philippines. It was a lot.
I couldn’t sleep for few nights since I got them because I was busy playing
with my new eyeshadows and lipsticks.
Men and women who are not into cosmetics may roll their eyes
over how we go crazy when a new palette drops or when our hearts skip a beat
when we pass by Sephora. It’s a feel-good remedy to a bad day when we put bright
lipstick on, a sense of relief especially when your winged liner turned out
perfect or when you’ve done a full face in under 20 minutes (lies) because you
have to catch the CTA just so you’d be on time for that dreaded job interview.
For me, a close family member is a part of why I love makeup.
