"I want to lose weight"- she says to me as I'm applying her eyeshadow. "You are makeup artist and fashion expert- you should know how- I need to lose 10 lbs! The club says I need to as well."
I can't believe I'm hearing this from a 105 lb Chinese girl who has a figure I would kill for- also can't believe she is asking me- Someone who is obviously having trouble keeping weight off, if not gaining it by the day here in China. I mean, honestly, it is like someone with long luxurious hair asking someone who is bald how they control dandruff. I wanted to laugh and poke her with my makeup brush at the same time!
"You don't need to lose weight", I tell her, "Look, you are already so skinny and beautiful! The club must tell you this because it is regulation- but you just tell them you already lost 5 lbs! I promise you, they will not know the difference because you are already skinny! Plus, how can I tell you what to do! Look at me! Since coming to China I've gained 10lbs. I wanted to ask you how you stay so slim!"
She pouts a bit and I tell her to close her eyes so I can finish the black winged out liner look I've created for the night. She is one of 8 girls I make up on a nightly basis and each night I learn more and more about them. Each night they are opening up to me and I to them. In fact, they are the most interactive part of my day and I look forward to sitting in that little room in the back of the club, showing them how to do makeup and gossiping. They do not have easy jobs. When I arrive at 7pm, there are a few girls that are just getting off work- having been there since 10am. Sometimes they have had to work the night before and didn't get off untill 3 or 4am- only to have to show up again at 10am to work a whole day in that dark smoky place. Yet everyday I show up, they are smiling, they seem positive, they joke and laugh about their puffy eyes and dry skin. Every day its the same discussion:
"My eyes are so heavy! I didn't sleep well"
"Look at my 'doudou' (zits)- My skin is breaking out!"
"My skin is terribly dry- look how it peels on the cheeks!"
"Oh, look at my puffy eyes- they are so heavy!"
Yet, this is all said with laughter and self-effacing lightness. And I give them advice- Drink lots of water. Use chilled teabags on your eyes. Eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Get enough rest. Wash off your makeup before you sleep and use a really really good moisturizer. I say this to them every day. And they smile and nod, smile and nod. I know they work too hard. I know they don't make that much. And I know they are going to go straight home, crash hard, not drink enough water, eat fast food that is easily available, and not take care of their skin, or their bodies. Not because they don't want to, they simply don't have the luxury of time and efficient funds to do so. We both know this, but we go through our perspective roles every day. Every time. I look at their pretty faces- that I have to 'makeup'- when they actually look better without it in all honestly- and I admire their stamina and determination and grit- to stand in high-heels for hours and hours- racing around a dark and gloomy room serving rich pompous Chinese and Western business men single drinks that cost more than they make a week, and I wonder how they can come in day after day with a smile...
