When it comes to what some might call “girly purchases,” I never hesitate to splurge on cosmetics.  I adore luscious facial creams that give me a dewy complexion, silky eyeshadows that make more of my baby blues, mascara that gives me oh-so-long lashes, and blush that accentuates my cheekbones.  Gifts with purchases?  I can never resist.  My bathroom counter is, well, rather embarrassingly cluttered with various cosmetics.  But oh, how I love them all.

Most mornings, I can’t face the day without putting on my potions and powders.  I started this putting-on-makeup ritual when I was in middle school.  No, I’m not going to admit how many years ago that was.    If you didn’t wear makeup to school, you weren’t with the “in” crowd, and as a smart, shy teenager with a mouth full of braces, I was desperate to do anything possible to fit in.  The makeup routine quickly became as important as getting dressed.  To this day, I don’t feel quite “together” until I have all my makeup on.

It’s amazing how much makeup can transform one’s features.  I was reminded of this when my daughter was involved a community theater production and asked me to do her makeup for the performances.  I eagerly agreed.  Any time spent with my daughter is precious to me.  I applied brown eyeshadows, pink blush, and a sweep of pinky-red lipstick, stood back, and had to choke down a gasp.  She didn’t look like a young teen any more; she was a twenty-something woman.

Of all my bounty of cosmetics, lipstick and lip gloss are my favorite.  Most days, I wear a pink gloss a few shades darker than my natural lip color.  On nights when I’m going out to dinner or a show with my husband, I slick on a bold, cool red.  Red lipstick, to me, is very classic and sexy, and my confidence kicks up a few notches when I wear it.

My love of cosmetics, including red lipstick, actually inspired a character in my medieval historical Knight’s Series.  Veronique Desjardin, the sultry and ruthless villainess of the series, wears crimson lipstick.  Her signature fragrance is rosewater, widely available in the Middle Ages.  She splurges on expensive creams hand-crafted by healers to keep her aging body enticing, and uses her beauty to seduce and manipulate men.

I first introduced Veronique in A Knight’s Vengeance, as the courtesan of the hero Geoffrey de Lanceau, who had returned to England to seek revenge for his father’s death.  She appears again in A Knight’s Temptation, determined to destroy de Lanceau with her shocking secret.

Veronique’s such a nasty character, I’m really glad all she and I have in common is our love of cosmetics.

Do you have a favorite cosmetic product?  What makeup can’t you live without?