My Day As A Model

My Internet has been down since Friday and just got fixed today so this has been my first chance to blog in a few days...

I had been asked late last week by someone if I would be their cosmetology model when they took the practical portion of their cosmetology exam...

I honestly thought she was kidding at first. I mean the words, "Natalie" and "model" just don't go in the same sentence. I had no idea what I was saying yes to but she needed someone and I had nothing planned on Monday so I agreed.

All I was needed for was a manicure and a facial but since I can't drive, I had to stick around for the entire test period which was three hours and 25 minutes. I was told Sunday when we went up for her to "run through" things that the two of us would not be able to communicate in any way while she worked with (or more accurately "on" me). I was also told to slap on some make-up the morning of her test so that something would come off on the towel when she cleaned my face for the facial.

So, on Monday morning, with a lightly blushed face and a soft coloring of eye shadow (all my mom's) I was picked up at 10 and off we were to downtown Houston. As I thought on the way down I realized this was the first time really that *I* wasn't the one being tested but rather was the one on the other side watching while others had to deal with nerves and test anxiety. I did my best to support her on the way down there telling her to do what I did when I got really nervous...Just repeat Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me) over and over. We got there at 11:30 and the test didn't start until 1:30 so we stopped for a quick bite at McDonald's after we made sure we knew where the building was.

After we finished lunch and went back to the building we trudged up to the second floor with a huge bag full of cosmetics. As we waited in a large room that was empty except for few chairs lining the wall, it was easy to tell who the models were and who the test takers were. One girl fidgeted with her bag while another nervously tapped her foot on the floor. My heart really did go out to them and I was SO thankful it wasn't me!

about 1:15 we were all called back shortly and after surrendering our ID's the models were asked to sit at the designated manicure tables, while the examinees were told to go to a cosmetics station and sit in the chair. Once it was time to begin, around 1:45 the examinees were asked to get their supplies all out and set up their stations...Two people forgot one item or another and because of that had to leave and were not able to return. The look of utter disappointment on their face as they re-packed their gear and left broke my heart. I couldn't imagine being in their shoes and knowing I was going to have to endure all of that again...I felt awful for them!

Manicures were first but only on five fingers, so my friend came to my table and set about her task. The silence in the room was almost deafening (I know that makes no sense, but it's true). We couldn't make eye contact so I spent that ten minutes going somewhere entirely different in my mind...Thinking, "Hmmm...I wonder just HOW Shonda is going to get Meredith and Derek together FOR GOOD on Thursday..." and went through possible scenarios (Nope, not kidding...that's what I thought about).

Once she was done, a proctor came and checked her work then told us we could go over to the chair and wait for the facial portion to begin...Mind you, they didn't give the polish on my nails ANY TIME to dry so by the time I made it to the chair....Let's just say, I was REALLY thankful they checked my nails BEFORE that! After waiting for about five minutes everyone was given the okay to start facials. I've never had a facial before....It was okay, not what I expected, but it was okay...I couldn't REALLY relax because the atmosphere was a bit too tense.

Once that was done and everyone had finished it was around 2:20. All models were told to leave. Actually, you're supposed to leave the building entirely but we got the ok for me to stay in the building...I wasn't allowed to take my purse or the other bag I had with me in the exam room so I had to leave it behind the front desk. So, once I left the exam room I quickly grabbed my bags and made my way back to the waiting room we had waited in earlier. I was alone so I went to the far corner of the room and settled in with a book, my ipod, and a Dr. Pepper. It was a LONG afternoon...I got up a few times and stretched talked to my Mom for about five minutes when she called to check in and tried to keep myself entertained....I was REALLY glad I had put some new songs on my ipod recently! At 5:15 my friend came in practically floating...She had passed her test! We could go home! I gave my face a nice scrubbing with soap and water and took my five polished nails and UNPOLISHED them. Felt SO much better!! :)

It was quite a day...I never have had any aspirations whatsoever to be a model and this just reaffirmed that modeling of any kind is something I DO NOT have ANY desire to do.