The Charleston Makeup Artist

Wall of Blame Inductee, Andromeda.

Trust me, The Wall of Blame is not a bad thing, unless you are my husband looking at our bank statement to see where I have been spending money.  The Wall of Blame is dedicated to each of every product that has gotten me hooked on makeup, skincare products, fragrances, and basically anything to do with what I obsess about daily.  The Wall of Blame is my opportunity to honor and highlight the reason why I must have more of some really great things.  Today I give credit to the first inductee, introduced to me in 1995 at Saks Fifth Avenue in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina, the Estee Lauder Collectible Compact!  More specifically, Andromeda.

In 1995 I was in my sophomore year at The College of Charleston and had way too much time on my hands in between classes, so naturally I was drawn to anything shiny, or twinkly, or anything that contained sparkle and shimmer.  I was also a broke college kid, so spending more than $5 on makeup was a crime to me.  I remember seeing her, with her silver case and adorning jewels set in a soft blue intaglio style splendor.  Her name was Andromeda and she was a part of an exclusive, once in a lifetime, once gone-gone forever, out of my budget opportunity.  So I did what any self respecting, soon to be makeup junkie would do, I purchased the compact anyway!

This was the beginning of the end for me when it came to compacts.  It started my obsession to seek out the exclusive compacts that Lauder produced each year.  I did not care about collecting them to keep them in their boxes.  I actually used them and still do to this day.  I peruse the internet to see what baubles will delight me on a regular basis, so much in fact that I am currently waiting the delivery of a gorgeous Fleur De Lis compact I purchased two weeks ago.

My parents have returned from Las Vegas the previous two years with a compact as my christmas gift.  Last year they presented me with the Blue Ornament Compact, the previous my request for nearly four years, The Roulette Wheel.  I still mourn the Nouveau Chic Compact I lost about five years ago in a friends car, so if anyone has one they want to part with send me an email with your asking price.  Seriously!  You did read that I have been obsessed with these compacts for 15 years right?!  Email address is tiffany@bellasegreto.com!

But all kidding aside (the offer to buy the compact if you have one was not a joke though!) I just really enjoy the beauty of each and every compact in my collection.  And each has its own story as to why it is in my possession.  But it all started with her.