It's Earth Day, so I'm back...

At least I'm consistent. The last time I posted was Earth Day 2019. I've been thinking a lot of how little makeup matters at a time like this.

Though I make my living as a makeup professional, I'm appalled at the volume of product on the market. The packaging and chemicals put a tremendous strain on the environment. Most women use only a fraction of what they buy, and don't know how to use it, even after hours watching YouTube tutorials. That's because contrary to what the beauty industry has told them, they do not emerge from the womb expert at using makeup (or hair tools, for that matter).

I've seen makeup refresh, revive and renew women. When I've been able to help my clients get past the misleading marketing and imagery, and to dispel for them the mythology that they, qua women, are supposed to know what to do with the stuff, then the products can actually start to work for them.

We're all doing the right thing by staying home, to flatten the COVID-19 curve. No need to dress up when there is nowhere to go, except maybe to the grocery store or a Zoom meeting. A full or even partial face of makeup isn't really required when wearing a mask, or turning up in a box on a screen, as demonstrated by celebrities who post encouragement or entertainment from their homes and don't seem to care if they're bare-faced or stubbly. For the moment, it's cool to appear as rumpled, 1.0 versions of ourselves.

We will certainly wear makeup again - I will, and I look forward to getting back to work in some new fashion. My hope is that when the time comes to throw open the doors and resume work and social interaction, we proceed with a new-found conviction that we need fewer cosmetics than we thought, and less of everything that we were sure we needed to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.

More than new clothes, makeup equipment and whatever else I have spent on traditionally, I need to write, so I hope to see you a bit more often between now and Earth Day 2021. Until then.....

Pro tip for looking good on a webcam while you're Zooming or Facetiming (now a verb) with family and friends:

Foundation or concealer only on areas of discoloration, usually center of the face, around the nose, and of course, blemishes. It doesn't have to be an exact match or perfectly applied - the camera won't see this (and this phenomenon, in part, is why beauty influencers are so...uh...influential. Pay attention to brows and add some color/moisture/shine to lips.

When in doubt, add a pair of oversize frames and a funny hat - this will create a total distraction and no one will give a flying (insert noun of choice - if I include mine, you'll never get this post) what your skin looks like.

Boom, Zoom, done.