Lies of a Makeup Junkie

Prologue: A primer will only smooth out so much

"I'm telling you, this primer is magic in a bottle. Look at my foundation. It's completely melted into my skin. And I've stayed oil-free all day," said Kaylie.

Lenox was laying on her stomach, watching the video on her phone. Kaylie zoomed in on her face, showing them how well the primer worked. Kaylie was a famous YouTuber who posted makeup videos. Her channel, KissesWithKaylie had over three million subscribers which made her one of the most well known beauty gurus out there.

Lenox adored her. Not only was she funny, but she was so down to earth. She never acted better than everyone else like other famous YouTubers. And most importantly, she told it like it is. That was a hard quality to find in a place where sponsored videos were becoming the norm. Lenox lost all respect for YouTubers who started getting paid to endorse products. It felt...tacky. How could you ever trust what they were saying after that?

Kaylie zoomed out. "Now for those of you who don't know, a primer is something you put on under your foundation. A good primer will keep your makeup lasting longer and help smooth out your skin. And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. We all struggle with a pimple now and then."

Kaylie's words were drowned out by the argument downstairs between her dad and her grandfather. Lenox could hear her dad's temper start to kick in.

"What is so wrong about wanting to buy you a house?" he asked.

Her grandfather responded with his usual gruffness. "Have a house. Don't need another."

"That house is barely holding up. When's the last time you didn't have to put buckets in the living room because the roof was leaking?"

"Was good enough for you as a boy."

Her dad let out a long sigh. "Dad, I got this so your life can be easier. It has all brand new appliances. Even a new oven that's higher up for Mom. She doesn't have to bend over and hurt her back anymore."

"We're not a charity case. Don't need your help."

Money was sore subject between them. Always had been. Every time her grandparents came to visit, they quarreled about it in some form or another. She was so used to it by now, it didn't even phase her.

Lenox turned up the volume on her phone and continued watching. She wondered if she could get a sample of the primer at Sephora. God knows she needed something to combat the oil slick that was her skin.

Her cell started ringing. Kaylie's face vanished, replaced with her best friend, Molly's face. She accepted the video call.

"Did you get it?" Molly immediately asked. Her brown eyes bright with excitement.

Lenox didn't need to ask what she was talking about. She knew. Everyone knew. Okay, maybe not everyone, but anyone interested in makeup was aware of what today was. The launch date for Kaylie's new eyeshadow palette.

"It's so gorgeous!" Molly squealed. She pulled the palette out of the bag and showed it off. "The feels..." she sighed, stroking the rose gold packaging.

Molly was right. It was gorgeous. The Instagram pictures hadn't done it justice—shiny metal case, embossed script, a velvet carrying pouch...it was so luxurious. It looked as good as any Tom Ford or Burberry product. Lenox was starting to get a serious case of jealousy. She wanted that palette. Badly.

"I'm so pissed that I have to wait," uttered Lenox. She'd tried to buy it while the palette was on pre-order but it'd sold out in hours. Stupid tutoring session. Her mom had roped her into it. While everyone else had been buying the new palette, she'd been explaining that the big bang theory was an actual term, not just a TV show. Guess she was stuck waiting for it to come back in stock.