July 22, 2011

I'm in Atlanta now and yesterday went to Lennox Mall for a makeover and some shoe shopping. I had on a womens pair of Tommy Hilfiger white shorts with a sleeveless black blouse and my Vera Wang wedge sandals. My french pedicure was looking slightly old so I started looing for a nail salon in the mall. Before i even found one my feet started killing me. I haven't been use to wearing heels for extended periods at a time except for years ago when i'd go out dancing on weekends to the gay bars.

Well before you knew it, I was frantic to find just a pair of flipflops under $20 to wear. I stopped at a couple shoe stores after leaving Bloomingdales where the cheapest sandal on display was almost $300. On my way out i passed through the makeup counters and thought hell, I could sit here for an hour maybe and get a makeover so my feet could have a breather and rest my arches. I walked over to the cutest blonde that wasn't busy and asked her if they sold Dermablend. She smiled and said no but I might try over at Sephora. I thanked her and sadly walked toward the exit into the crowded mall. That's when I started getting unwelcomed comments, like "Don't ask or I'll tell, and one comment especially got to me,..."Go look in the mirror!" I continued my painful steps dying to find a mirror now and a pair of flipflops before my feet gave completely out on me. Those wedges are way to high for a 56 year old trannie to even be wearing. Finally I pass a Footlocker after two shoe stores don't have my size. I only wear a women's sz 10. I'm almost ready to spend that $60 I was planning to get the makeover with when I looked over and saw a mirror. I get up and walkover and couldn't believe my eyes. I looked at my watch and back up at my beard shadow popping through my makeup. It was really almost 5 o'clock and I'd shaved as late as I could before checking out of the motel. Then I realized it had been almost 7 hours since I'd shaved and probably six that I'd finished applying my makeup. I hadn't even retouched it except to freshen my lipstick in the dimly lit parking garage almost two hours prior. That gives you an idea how slow I was walking and how big the mall was. I was headed to the other side of Macy's stopping and looking at sandals along the way.

Before I left Footlocker i removed my Vera Wang's to try on a flipflop and noticed I had a real nasty blister popping up where the toe straps were rubbing. Every step now seemed like agony as I could feel this blister hurting more with each step, thinking to myself, this is gonna be bad. I finally see Macy's and stop at a directions booth more to rest my poor feet than so see how much further I had to go. When i made it to Sephora's, a very nice looking young tall black lady asked if she could help me. I asked her to see their line of Dermablend makeup and she tells me with a pout that they don't carry it. My facial expression must have been frantic looking cause she said, you want something that covers well don't you. I blushingly told her yes and she said well follow me. Now I'm gingerly stepping behind her as she leads me across the other side of the store with me in tow still proudly holding my head high, shoulders down and back straight, one foot crossing over in front of the other clutching my big purse. She proceeds to tell me how good Cover FX makeup line is asking me what I currently use, which I explain Max Factor panstick and she assures me the FX will give me better coverage and last much longer.

I ask her if it's possible to pay for a makeover so I can try it out and she walks off explaining that she'll have to see if they have an artist available. I continue looking at the FX products and the prices when she walks back over with another tall burnette that tells me her name is Stephanie and asks if I'd like to try their FX. She explains I have to go to the checkout to buy a giftcard for fifty bucks and then can use it toward any purchase of the products she uses. Now all I'm thinking about is getting in that makeup chair just so I can get off my feet.

Once back with the gift card I settled in a small but comfortable chair with footrests. I cannot tell you how beautiful she was because words can't describe her beauty that closely matched her personality. Even in her professional way, she admitted she was a rather wild child herself and loved being where the action was. In less than ten mintues she gently removed every trace of my makeup and stepped away to grab so colors to match my face. I got to lean forward and looked in the mirror to see how bad my five o'clock shadow was showing. It wasn't too awfully bad as least not as bad as i thought it would be. Stephanie was so wonderful explaining each step along the way as if she's teaching me to use makeup for the first time giving me beauty tips to cover spots wrinkles and lines, even daytime looks and nighttime adjustments. I couldn't believe it when she smiled and stepped back and told me to look in the mirror. I'd gone from looking like a trannie to being actually somewhat passable, fresh, light, no dark circles under the eyes or droopy bags, and the shadow was completely gone!!! I then picked out four of the products she used on me, including the one she told me was the only thing she would take if she were ever marooned on a deserted island, even if she was by herself. It's called erase paste which conceals and brightens dark circles, discoloration, and those huge open pore imperfections. After paying $143.10 for my four purchases I now had to remember how bad my feet felt as i strutted my fastest runway walk i could muster on my blistered aching feet.

Finally back to the car, i drove through the remaning rush hour traffic straight to the first nail salon I could find. The receptionist asked if she could help me and I told her I needed a full set of acrylic french fingernails and a pedicure with color. She directed me over to the nail polish table to choose my color and then had me follow her to an open pedi massage chair. Two Vietamese ladies then started working on me at the same time. I've never been to a salon that gives pedi'sand mani's at the same time before. It felt incredible!!!! Even my blistered foot was soothed by the lotion and never busted, still tender but only on the left foot. The right foot is okay even though it ached almost as bad as the left.

As the pedicurist was massaging my feet an extremely beautiful blonde had just finished getting her toes polished and was wiggling her brightly polished pink toes. I stared at her toes as long as she kept wiggling them and when she stopped, I turned further to see her looking right at me with this little evil grin on her face. That's when out of shear bliss I blurted out to my manicurist that I'd like to have my toes polished the same color as the lady two chairs down. The manicurist then told the pedicurist who immediately got up and pranced over to the gorgeous blonde ladies chair and snatched up the bottle of bright pink OPI and returned and set it down on her floor table next to my feet. I look back at the blonde who gives her toes one final wiggle and when I look back at her she winks right at me then gets up to leave. Even after my toes were polished and looking better than they have in a long time, even better than many pedicures I've had before, they'll never look as good as her beautiful toes and feet! She is such a Goddess!

With my long french acrylic fingernails finally complete the manicurist removed the seperators from my toes and I was on my way in search of comfortable sandals. I remembered an Outdoor store right next to the Goodwill store so in I went to explain my plight in search of comfortable sandals in a sz 10, womens. Without much to choose from the saleman explained they only carried Chaco when I inquired about seeing their ladies Teva selections. About the only choice in styles were whether you wanted toe straps or open foot for socks. $103.10 later my feet finally felt much better and much prettier than when the day started!

Can't wait for my next makeover and nail appointment, the new sandals will make shopping much more comfortable. Plus it'll be my very first experience getting my nails done in a mall!!!