Bianca was far too excited when she heard about the date. It was the excitement of relief. Kendra suddenly realised that Bianca had been afraid that, despite all of the talk to the contrary, Kendra really might never go on another date. If that happened Bianca would be stuck, forever stuck in some sort of sad post-Will apocalypse. She was giddy with relief that that particular version of hell had been dodged successfully. “I didn’t even see him. How did I not see him? I have a radar for sexy hot men. I always see them. Where was he sitting exactly?” Bianca interrogated.

Kendra repeated her story. She knew Bianca wouldn’t have noticed him, he was not the type of man Bianca noticed. “Yes, you do normally notice good looking men, but this is the kind of man that would not be caught by your particular type of radar.” Kendra busied herself with her hair in the mirror. She pulled her long brown hair to the top of her head and reached for a nearby scrunchee.

“Nope! Oh god! Don’t you dare!” Bianca warned.

“But Will liked my hair up. He said it made me look young.”

“Will was a fucking idiot. You have beautiful hair and tonight you will leave it down.” She grabbed her makeup bag from the bedside table and came toward Kendra.

“No…no, make-up. You know I don’t do make-up. It makes me nervous,” Kendra said getting up and moving away. Bianca was all haute couture and perfect make-up, Kendra was vintage clothes and the natural look. Just like everything in their friendship –polar opposites.

Bianca walked slowly toward Kendra with a make-up brush in her hand much like a wildlife photographer might approach a frightened leopard. Her voice uncharacteristically calm. “Calm down. It will be fine. Make-up is not the enemy. Make-up is your friend.”

“Bianca, please, you know about the last time I tried make-up. It was a disaster.”

“That was in secondary school! What was that like twenty years ago? And your mother put it on! Your mother -the last of the hippies. What does she know about make-up? My god- she still wears patchouli essence oil in the place of perfume.”

“Still. I’m not comfortable with make-up. I don’t understand it, it’s all so complicated, eye liner and shadow and mascara and all the tubes for the lips and the skin… it’s just too complicated. I’ve lived perfectly well up to now without make-up and I think I like that situation.”

Bianca continued walking slowly toward Kendra speaking in a low, calming voice. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I know everything. I’ll put it on and if you don’t like it we can take it off. I promise” She held up the make-up remover to show that she was sincere. “Deal?”

Kendra had backed up as far as she could and was now up against the hotel door. She had no choice but to submit. “Okay, but I can promise you I won’t like it.”

***

Tell us what you think: Do you prefer the natural look or make-up? Does it depend on the occasion?