Thank you Page, thank you virginia.

Funny how your confidence dwindles as you struggle trying to do something again and again in hopes of getting it right. It was that way years ago trying to apply mascara. I would get to that final step then hand the mascara wand to the client or model, telling her it was better and quicker if she applied it. It worked like a charm until one client took so long, and kept saying she never wore mascara that I thought, "she's worse then I am". I grabbed the wand and applied that mascara like no one had before! My next struggle with makeup came when I would have to apply false eye lashes. I can't tell you the number of times I would try and try, but they never stuck. OK, they stuck, but almost always lifted in one spot or another. And the frustration I would feel, was sometimes overwhelming. But I always got through it. A few weeks ago I did the hair and makeup for the Ball Room Dance Championships in Miami. This was my second year doing them. Now this time I had my friend Virginia Alexander to help me out. Aside from being great at everything she touches, she is the bomb, when it comes to makeup and lashes! She however was only working with me the second day. But I figured, I had new glue, new lashes, all the tricks I could collect from other makeup artists, and a few of my own. I was ready. Now these women had been doing these shows for quite some time so if I got into trouble, I knew I would ask them to help. Then there was Page. What a sweet quite soul. With one eye. A big blue fake eye. No real lid and no lash line to follow. As I worked to get the lids to look somewhat the same, I kept thinking, "where in the hell am I going to glue that strip of lashes to"? As she offered to hold down the lid, I glued and waved the lash (it works better if you let the glue dry a bit first) praying for some help. I stood my ground and held my breath, I glued that strip right onto her lid. As I stood back I saw it standing erect. Straight upwards toward her brow. I let out a deep sigh and started again. And again. Only to realize I had the lash on my finger and glue on her eye ball. Now what, do I wipe it, leave it? Hey, I knew it was going to dry clear but then what if she got her lid stuck? As I took a Q-tip I quickly swiped the glue and with one last attempt, got the lashes just right. That next day I thought, I have to learn this eye lash thing. I am going to get this if it kills me. And Virginia was my teacher. My savior, my hero. Ever see a doll with one eye that just doesn't shut? The eye that the lashes are pointing to the sky? That's what Page looked like when Virginia got done. Your thinking, but didn't it look that way when Rick did it? The difference was Virginia got the lash strip stuck in the woman's eye brow. Yep. Then I heard Virginia say "Rick, does this look right to you"? Picture it, one eye with lashes pointing to you, the other to the sky. I thought if I laugh now it's all over. And trust me, I was holding back big time. What happened next still amazes me. In one quick movement I removed the lash from the brow and repositioned it correctly. That was the moment I realized no more lifting lashes. No more telling them "I'm going to apply individual ones instead". I have finally gotten the hang of applying false lashes. That's because I learned the glue goes on the underside instead of the top of the lash strip! Thank you Page. Thank you virginia.