The self-replenishing makeup

I have had the same one-ounce tube of foundation for four months. And, yes, I use it every day. (Maybe I take Saturdays off. Maybe.) Every morning I drowsily pull out my makeup bag, sure that there is nothing left of it. Today, I tell myself, I’ll have to throw it away. The hearty pioneer spirit in me inisists on a thorough squeeze, “just to check” to make sure it’s really empty. And every day, just enough remains to put on makeup for one more morning.

The first time I thought the makeup was all but gone, I called Scott to pick up another tube on his way home from work. That was two months ago. The day that it really does run out is almost scary. It’s been an oddly charming ritual to repeat every morning, and without it, I guess I’ll have to use McDonald’s to get my day started right. That’s a scary thought.

I cannot say what existentialist message I am to glean from the self-replenishing makeup. Beauty is self-generating? An ounce of foundation really is worth a pound of cure? I’m a cheapskate? Or just that serendipity is as alive in the barren months of January as it is in May? I think that’s it. Now, having told the rich tale of the foundation, I must press on.