I have always been fascinated by what magic makeup can do for women and curious to try it myself. I decided to give it a go while still adventurous enough to push back social boundaries. Besides, something, artificial or not, needs to be done about the shiny forehead that has plagued me all of my life.
I went to MAC. The brand doesn't have anything formulated especially for men, but it does boast an 'all races, all sexes, all ages' philosophy and offers a product range wide enough for men to find what they need.
Polly, my makeup artist, began by priming my skin with moisturiser. Then she tried out a few shades on the back of my jaw until she found the exact match for my skin colour: the C35 Matte Foundation ($190), the C standing for cool, which means subtler tones like beige, olive or orange. It is meant to add some colour to my pale face. Had I been more daring, she would have gone for a bit of bronze, 'the tanned look is my favourite for men,' she said.
After covering up my eyebags, spots and moles with the 'neutral cool' NC30 Concealer ($150), mixed with a dab of Satin Foundation to prevent cracking, Polly started to work on my facial contours by brushing on the Studio Fix Foundation ($185).
My skin tone required olive C25 for highlighting and the beige-olive NC40 for shading. The oil-absorbing, colourless Blot Powder ($120) was then applied on the T-zone and cheeks.
To fine-tune the look, she added Ivory Eyeshadow ($150) to my sunken cheeks and other areas that could use some illusory puffing up, and Symmetry Eyeshadow ($150) to minimise unsightly protrusions like my Frankenstein forehead.
As the finishing touch she 'matte-ed me down', using Matte ($160), a cream formulated as a line smoother to be used before application of makeup. It also works wonders 'thinning' the finished face, making the makeup look lighter than it actually is. I looked in the mirror and had to admit my reflection did seem more refreshed. My face didn't feel weighed down at all.