So after what felt like forever, Jeff and I went out on a date. Or should I say, I took him out on a date to Hampton Park’s Sugar Buns Bakery Cafe. I was there the day before to catch up with a friend and found the food really nice. I had the calamari two days in a row now and I had no regrets. The tiny slab of goat’s cheese on the side was divine! I was so tempted to ask them what brand it was but I get really shy when it comes to that so I guess I’ll just have to check out the ones at Coles and hope for the best.

But the truth is, I took Jeff there because I wanted to go back to this makeup shop Viki and I stumbled into right across from the cafe to buy more eyeshadows. So while Jeff played with the phone he bought just this morning, I left him to wait for our order while I did some swatches of the colors I was interested in getting, later turning my fist this way and that against the window light to admire the pretty colors as I ate.

It was a tough decision to make for somebody as indecisive as I am. I was leaning more towards the eggplant shade but I wanted a reddish hue as well and that’s where I got stumped.

The company is called Down Under Cosmetix. Yes, with an ‘x.’ Doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that it’s an Australian company but what makes it even more Strayan are the names assigned to every colour — Didgeridoo, Boomerang, Gum Tree, Corroboree, Fair Dinkum — to name a few. They’re mineral pigment eyeshadows, meaning fallout is going to be a bitch and you need to be a badass when it comes to application.

The guy behind the counter, who, by now, probably understands the mental anguish women go through when it comes to purchasing makeup suggested applying it on skin pre-moistened with water so it glides on smoothly with the help of your fingers. Fair enough, it does the job and the colors come out so rich and so pigmented that if you have the tendency to be heavy-handed, you will also have the tendency to come out looking like a clown. Unless, of course, that’s the plan.

I knew application was gonna be tricky. So I bought only one to take it for a road test. To be safe, I decided on Tuckerbag — a deep brown color with specks of coppery gold in it. It’s beautiful. But not when it was just too thick around my orbital bones. I was going for a smokey effect, not a human version of a panda who didn’t get enough sleep. I must admit it kind of looked hot, though. I reminded myself of the Olsen Twins. After they’ve had a little too much partying and drinks.

This morning, I found the solution: apply it dry using just a liiiiittle tiiiiiiiiiny bit of pigment, layering more and more as you go. I was just going to freaking Dandenong Plaza to do some errands so that one single layer was enough. No need to be dramatic about it.

And you know what, I actually loved it! So much that I made up my mind to go back and get more colors. However, Hampton Park Shopping Centre isn’t exactly our normal route so I had to be creative with my excuse to get Jeff to drive me there.

Thus, the aforementioned date at the cafe. Win-win!

This time, after much consideration, I went with Royal Grape and Purple Mate. The guy behind the counter recognized me from the day before and happily offered to give me their last Saturday’s promo: Buy 10, Get 4 free. That would be $100, thanks, but no thanks. I think two is enough.

For now.