Got the boys haircuts today. They needed them badly. Gabe’s neck and head are bizarre; even combing though his hair causes his skin to get blotchy and red. He gets that from me, of course; I give all the “fun” stuff, hereditarily. Good thing they get their brains from their father. 
Then we went over to Ulta, which was a huge mistake and blow to my ego. All I needed was a blush, since the last one I masterfully picked out (Walgreens, as usual) is somehow the exact shade of my normal skin, so you can’t see anything at all when I put it on. I figured a big cosmetic store would be better, but my brain completely freaked out at all the products all over the place – stuff I’ve never even heard of – that I spazzed and left empty-handed and feeling like I need to turn in my Girl Card.
ERIC: “Didn’t you read ‘Cosmo’ or those other magazines? Didn’t they tell you what to do?”
ME: “When I was a young teen, until Mom made me stop.”
ERIC: “The sex articles?”
ME: “No, the fact that I couldn’t really process any of the beauty stuff very well, and it was becoming…mortifying.”
Oh, I’m such a little lady, with my un-primed (seriously? Primer? Like what you put under wall paint?) face and nailless toes. Why do I even try?
I feel like I need to turn in my girl card too, especially after going to a makeup store. I thought I was super girly when I started using moisturizer, and a chap stick with color!
Places like Ulta can be a bit intimidating. I like going to the Clinique or similar counter in the mall. Tell the person you want a standard blush, something that compliments your skin tone but isn’t outrageous. Sephora can also be helpful. The women who work there tend to be helpful but not pushy. I find Ulta to be overwhelming with arrogant/unhelpful staff.
I personally find gel or stick blushes fun, mainly because I don’t wear powder or foundation, so I feel like powder blush doesn’t blend into my skin quite as well as the gel/stick stuff. I personally use Clinique Black Honey(and I’m quite pale) gel blush, but of course, they’ve stopped carrying it. Why do they do that? And why do I find out about it only when I’m just about out of the product I like? Sigh. I guess this is why I should wear makeup more than twice a month…
Basically, I say go to a makeup store with well informed, helpful staff, sans kiddies. You need to try several shades, and corralling two boys isn’t really conducive to actually applying, studying and removing various blushes. Tell the woman your basic routine, when you’re likely to use the product and see what is recommended!
I second what Alie said about trying a cosmetics counter in a big department store or mall. I was totally clueless about makeup, and a friend took me to the MAC counter. They will actually put together a routine for you, something that fits your look and your lifestyle, and show you how to put it on — at MAC the only catch is that you have to buy like 35$ worth of product afterwards. But if you were planning to buy some anyway, it’s quite a good deal. They showed me a quick, natural look with foundation, powder, a little eye makeup and blush that I now wear to work everyday. Highly highly recommend it. Also, the products at those counters tend to be higher quality, so you need to use less, and they look better and last longer.