Published Works
Points North Magazine
Atlanta
Powder Room Pollyanna
By Melanie Woodroffe
mi.Hair new media project, all rights reserved
Published March
11, 2014
I
am at a charity luncheon. Sitting at the table with me is a distinguished panel
of educated women, both young and old. I am mesmerized by the young lady
sitting directly across from me. She is wearing a gorgeous shade of merlot
lipstick and she has bread crumbs completely caked to her lipstick.
An older
woman on the opposite side of her notices too, she leans over and whispers
something to her. I am sure it is to tell her that her lips are full of
crumbs from her roll and I am right. She is mortified and instead of excusing
herself from the table and heading to the ladies powder room, she whips out an
enormous sack of cosmetics from her handbag, drops it on the table in front of
her plate, nearly knocking over a full glass of water, and sending seismic-like
vibrations throughout the rest of the table and then, she noisily digs through
the bag for a mirror while the keynote speaker speaks through the rattling and
clinking.
Everyone
is staring at our table.
How
many times have we witnessed something similar? We live in the day and age of
an etiquette shortage. The excusing of one's self to the ladies room to touch
up lipstick or to powder the nose is no longer the norm. It's sad that it never
occurred to the bread crumb girl to excuse herself from the table to wipe the
crumbs from her lips.
In
her defense; in my younger days, before charm school, I may have reacted the
same way!
Beauty
etiquette indiscretions run rampant. So what do we do about them?
We
lead by example. Our actions must positively pave the path! No glossing or
glittering, no puffs of powder, or lining of the eyes in public settings.
Leave
it all to the ladies powder room.
So,
next time you come across a little etiquette folly, such as the young lady with
the crusted lips; merely, discreetly and nicely tell her that she has a little
something on her lips and quietly give her directions to the ladies powder
room.
I
am sure that she will appreciate your kindness and pay it forward!
