How to Spend $60 on Cosmetics & Co.
(in one shot)

You go to the gym. You work out for two hours, eliminating about 2% of your energy and being amazed by the resistance you've developed. You still feel like dancing for many nights in a row, but for now you'll have to settle for waking up your neighbours at 2 a.m. while you're jumping up and down for unknown reasons (unknown to them, but you're listening to "Meneaito" in order not to fall asleep and because you'd rather be in a club at that time, not writing a bunch of essays). Good. Gym is over. You'd like to walk back home, but your boots are killing you and it's kind of freezing => take the subway. Don't forget you have to buy batteries from a store that's next to a drugstore (improperly named so, since it holds everything from chips to candles). Hey, remember the discussion you had with your friend and her friend, the esthetician, about preventing the signs of aging? The one who told you that you should start around 25, so you should be fine for the next 3 years (nice compliment, btw)? Well, this is the time to put your plan into action. Enter, take 9 different creams and go all around the store, trying to find someone who could help you make a decision. Not a man, hopefully. One man... two... three... "Do you need help?" Hmmm... should you stay or should you go? (in this case, should you scare him or be nice? Neah, pick the first one, it's more fun :D ). "Yes, could you please tell me which of these creams are more suitable for someone my age ? Also, should I get 2 or 3, considering that this one works together with that one, but the third one is intensive, so...". Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa! "Give me a second and I'll find someone who can answer your question." It looks like you underestimated him, he was still able to help. The lady who shows up tells you you need 5 of those creams. You look at her with the dumbest possible smile. OK, 4. You raise your eyebrow... still smiling. OKeeeeeey, let's saaaay 3, although after 30 it's better to use 4. You kick her @.. ... no, you keep on smiling and tell her that in a few years you'll buy all 4, but for now you'll only get 2. You also get some shower gel and some makeup remover. You pay for the products, plus the almost $9 tax. You go home, content about your purchase. You show them to your husband, it's just normal, right? "Why do you need all this?" ... and other similar questions. Does it matter that you actually want to answer? Uhmmm... no, not really... not when it comes to cosmetics :))).

Short version: You enter a store, pick what you (think you) need, pay and leave.

Girly Stuff

Just a thought: makeup ain't that bad!
I'm not the one to put on makeup that often: some moisturizing cream, foundation, lipstick and a hint of mascara, once in a blue moon. I find so many excuses for "avoiding" it: first of all, I'm not willing to spend half an hour or more in front of the mirror before going to school when I could be finishing off an assignment or chatting with someone. Secondly, I don't believe I do so well when it comes to painting my face, as most of the time I end up looking like a clown or a witch (if I use too much black). There are other pretty girls out there, I prefer to leave them worry about their makeup, the result is much better, anyway. Not to mention the fact that I'm married, so I don't need to worry about appealing to any of my "cool and cute" male colleagues. Or what about those rainy days, when I would run the risk of getting mascara all over my face? Neah, I'm better off without it!
Well, these ideas of mine might've changed yesterday. I don't know what came to me, but before going out to dinner I felt the urge to experiment with my eye shadow and black eyeliner, on top of the other "accessories". Hey, what the heck, I even used some blush! The result was amazing, if I may say so. The fact that it took me almost an hour to get a perfect line, with no smudges, is really not important... as the song says, with a slight alteration, "I'm only just begining". What matters is that micul was kind of impressed, I felt that he really liked my appearance (and he's a self-proclaimed "makeup hater" :P ). On top of that, I was pretty happy with the difference between "before" and "after". The bad news (for micul, of course) is that now I need to get a load of makeup supplies, as I discovered there are many eye shadow colours I want and who knows what other miraculous products I might have to get acquainted with :P .
From now on I might actually reserve "a few minutes" (close to 60, but who's counting?) for this little pleasurable ritual I've discovered.
The only thing left to fix is our digital camera; it's essential that we have a little talk... I'll do my part, but it also needs to change its view on things :P .