alyx and travis.

this is hard for me to explain. i hope i do it justice.

years ago, we gathered in seattle for the last shanty wedding. i think it was 2006. we had a few cosmetics counter virgins... and then, there was robin and i... experienced cosmetic counter-ers {i hope that doesn't make us whores...}

i won't speak for robin, but i'm preeetty sure she'll agree with me - there's a certain feeling of happiness that can only be felt by mingling with high priced cosmetics. the nordstrom make-up counter is like a dream land. if you remember, jen and i skipped work to attend the grand opening of the new nordstrom.

oh, new make-up is so fun.

playing, experimenting, choosing, narrowing it down...

all of it is FUN to me.

{until it's time to pay for it. hmmph.}

i digress. seattle. costmetics virgins.

so there we are. at the prescriptives counter {R.I.P. prescriptives}... introducing lara to the wonder of face make-up. how did she live without it? it was there, at a really big macy's in downtown seattle, that we met alyx. he, yes HE, was completely entertaining and, like, really good at make-up, which is really important for someone's "first time". alyx was a drag queen and a perfect fit for a night with five entertained twentysomethings.

we even met his boyfriend at closing time.

fast forward.

robin, andi, aubry. boise towne square. with zero expectations, we were de-lighted to find bobbi brown in macy's. the chick working the counter had NO interest in helping us, really. i mean, she offered, but we could tell she didn't really mean it. such a buzzzz kill to whole the experience. so, we took it upon ourselves to clean our own testers, provide ourselves full access to the brushes sitting on the table, and ultimately - work our way behind the counter and make ourselves at home.

but then.

THEN.

travis showed up.

there's something about a man at a make-up counter that just makes me feel better. without much discussion on the matter, i was sitting in the chair, my make-up was off, he was moisturizing my face... and in a bibbidy-bobbidy-boo like fashion, i was transformed. it started as a "five minute face"... but he could not be stopped. he insisted on giving me the full make over experience. he knew his stuff. even went as far as to ask what i was wearing for the wedding that night, asked about my hair... and did me up accordingly.

we were best friends at first sight. ironically enough, we knew the same people, he was moving to robin's home town, and he was giving andi his ex-boyfriend's phone number for an elevated haircut experience in boise.

most importantly, trav-dogg introduced me to the most AMAZING eye liner {in cobalt ink.} and changed my life forever.

to top it off... i ran into him the next day - in sephora - with his boyfriend. i shouted out loud with joy and we high-fived over the laura mercier display.

truly - nothing beats a good {manly} cosmetics counter experience.