"I put on makeup to express myself. I could care less about my so-called insecurities."
Aura Chandler was so sure she had her life figured out. After securing a photoshoot gig with up-and-coming musician Lacey Redd, she was convinced she would get d...
AURA STARED AT HERSELF for the umpteenth time in the half-stained mirror. She placed the bronzer coated brush on her temples, brushing lightly to bring some warmth to her face. Although her skin tone was always deep in the medium spectrum, she liked to bring more warmth to her usual dull skin. It was a problem she had and tried to correct with the right skincare. However, it was a long process, and she didn't know if she would ever fix it, so she liked to fake a glowy appearance with her makeup, because why ever not?
She bronzed up the rest of her face, also utilizing the warm powder to sculpt her cheeks and nose a little bit. When she was satisfied with her application, she reached for her highlighting palette, already knowing she was going for the nice gold that popped on her skin.
It probably looked better on her than on Lacey Redd.
Aura unlocked her phone to see the photos on Lacey Redd's social media. The up-and-coming singer was dolled up in the best way possible. She wore a sleek gold suit with a plunging neckline and matching gold heels. Her hair was slicked back with gold leaf acting as a gel on her hairline, keeping her hair in place. It wasn't just her hair and outfit that got Aura falling down an insecurity spiral, it was the flawless execution of makeup on her that almost made her want to puke.
It seemed Daisy Pickett had found a new makeup artist in no time. None other than purple graphic liner Elaine Cavette.
Lacey Redd's face was flawless, and it wasn't just because of the amount of editing they probably did to the photos. The makeup was done so expertly, Aura boiled with jealousy.
Instead of coloring her eyebrows with a normal eyebrow product like a pomade or a gel, Elaine had insisted on playing with the gold leaf concept. It covered Lacey Redd's eyebrows in a straight shape, which helped with the rest of the makeup application further on. The center of the eye was bare, save for a bit of a gloss on the lid, but the top corners of her eyes were also shaped nicely with gold leaf, stopping right where her nose bridge started. As a lower lash shadow, they used more gold leaf near the other side of the eyes, making them look more open and nice. To finish the eyes, Elaine gave her a soft lash to make sure the gold was what popped off.
Aura wanted to gag. That was what she was meant to do.
She closed her eyes, locking her phone, and went back to staring at her reflection. Life was unfair, she thought as she applied the gold highlighter.
When she finished her look, she sprayed setting spray all over her face so it didn't sweat off. She took down her hair from her bun and brushed it out with her fingers. It was messy, but a good messy. It would give her the right vibe for the photos she wanted to take for her social media accounts.
Even though she wasn't Lacey Redd's makeup artist anymore, she still needed to try to attract other clients online.
Aura stared at the gold and purple haze on her eyes and smirked. She looked better than Lacey Redd ever could. Elaine might have done fine with the gold leaf, but Aura knew her way around a makeup brush. Her creation made her look ethereal and otherworldly. Paired with a white, flowy sundress, Aura would look like a model grazing the beaches of Cornelius. And she would so gladly share her look for the entire world to see.
Lacey Redd would wish Aura had done her makeup instead.
Aura posed for pictures in different areas around the neighborhood. She thought about asking for her old friends to accompany her, but she wasn't in the mood to tell anyone, especially Corey, that the girl they watched doing her makeup was the artist she was replaced with.
Other women stopped her to compliment her makeup as she went about on her own, which brought joy to her craft. She even told a few that she was a freelance makeup artist in case anyone needed someone. Some even looked her up on social media and followed her immediately. Hopefully she could get a few new clients soon.
After taking pictures close to Grandma Ruby's house, she decided to venture out further and go to the beach. She crossed by the beach clubs, ignoring the burning curiosity, and went straight to beach spots Grandma Ruby had told her about.
People stared at her as she posed in different areas. She didn't care. She was in her element. She took a few hundred selfies all around the beach, trying to get the best angle and lighting.
A few hours later, she sat down at a lonely bench in a huff. She scrolled through all of her pictures and sighed. Her smile was big and bright in almost all of them, but none of those were real. She was exhausted and wanted to get back on track with her life. She didn't want to pretend like she was alright, but sometimes life demanded it so.
Without meaning to, Aura found herself scrolling through Elaine's social media. She stalked her account, wanting to be her in that very moment. Even if Aura didn't know her, she wanted her life. She had the job Aura wanted, she had the amazing talent, and everyone seemed to love her.
Elaine was getting so many new followers too. It was probably all due to her work with Lacey Redd. That was something she was looking forward to, but now those followers that were meant for Aura were now Elaine's. Never in her life had Aura wanted to be someone else so bad.
Aura locked her phone when she felt her heart shatter at another post of Lacey Redd's shoot. She needed to forget about her lost opportunity and find the next one.
She looked around the boardwalk, watching seagulls flying about and listening to children screaming in delight. She sighed and stood up. She knew she needed to get back to Grandma Ruby's house, but she lingered around. She didn't want to go back there. Maybe she could take some more pictures.
She turned the other direction and spied a small coffee shop. Without planning to, she went into the shop, enjoying the smell of coffee slapping her in the face as she walked in. A chirpy teen took her order at the front counter, and later Aura sat alone at a table, sipping on her caramel iced coffee in peace.
Aura thought of Sierra as she took a picture of her drink and posted it on her socials. She was by far the best coffee maker Aura had ever known, so her talents were put to good use at The Cream Accent. The coffee in there wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't compare to her friend's magic touch.
"And to think I believed I had seen every beautiful thing this place had to offer, but now I can see that wasn't true."
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