If there's anything I've learned from watching Grey's Anatomy (Only the T.R. Knight years of course), it's that challenges, sorrow, and love only ever come in close proximity, and in heavy doses. This week, I was dealt the first two, but fortunately a friend has been blessed with the latter. After an unusually challenging week, I've arrived at the beautiful Delamar Hotel in Greenwich CT for the wedding of a dear colleague. As the new old saying goes, "always the makeup artist, never the bride". That said, it's not me but makeup legend, Sandy Linter, providing atelier services at this event (Though I may lend an improvising hand if the need arises. I hope everyone here matches my shade of Mally Visible Skin powder in Tan that I do).
My plans for a midday arrival were foiled, and instead I arrive close to midnight as some pre-celebration events have all but flickered away. The first thing I notice when I open the door to my room is the TWO bath robes neatly laid onto the bed. If only the same care had been given to not reminding me I am single at the second wedding in two days.
With the kitchen closed, room service is out of question, but the idea of eating Dominos alone in my room is completely unacceptable. I decide the best thing, rather than wallow, is to soak. Meredith Grey style, I begin filling the tub with hot water and throw in an entire travel sized bottle of Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert body lotion into the water (Delamar offers the same kind provided to my morning clients who were staying at the Regency Hotel on Park Avenue).
As I struggle to use the cappuchino machine in the hall to make a cup of Decaf Roobis Chai, I get an idea. Grabbing as many Harney & Sons Fine Teas White Vanilla Grapefruit teabags as are courteously provided, I return to my room and toss each tetrahedron shaped sack into the tub. (Please don't tell my friend at Argo Tea, the makers of ChariTEA which raises money for a new important cause each month, about my...infideli-tea). Tea is filled with antioxidants and there's nothing like a bathtub concoction of "with our compliments" to free radical ideas of going ballistic at my agitators via telephone.
Having found a sachet of lavender petals in a gift bag from the bride-to- be, I toss those in too, along with the formerly ornamental pink orchid from the basin (Wine glasses were made to be broken and according to Guerlain, orchids are meant for the skin).
Though six foot three, I do my best to enjoy the silence as I shift between keeping my Michael Phelps length torso submerged and warm. As I consume my midnight snack of pretzels and Ritz Cracker sandwiches (which haven't tasted this good since I was young enough to be handed a juice pouch of Capri Sun to soon realize it contained only air...Don't remember? Lady Rizo tells the story with panache and an obscenely outre pair of false lashes), I read one of the tea wrappers to see that Harvey & Sons Fine Teas are members of 1% for the Planet and therefore donating 1% of their sales to improving nature. A company that is conTEAentious? For some reason, this provides a bit of calm.
Andrew Sotomayor is a celebrity makeup artist in New York who's worked with Juliette Binoche, Kerry Washington, Saffron Burrows, Rose Byrne, Isaac Mizrahi, Justin Kirk, Jonathan Groff and champion boxer Andre Berto. His clients have appeared on Project Runway, The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, Good Day New York, and CNN. He's created the makeup for Victoria Beckham's denim and eyewear look books, and assisted on fashion shows for Dior, Diesel, Marchesa, and Project Runway. Magazines like Marie Claire, Shape, InStyle, Glamour, People, and numerous blogs have interviewed him, and he's appeared on television for Access Hollywood. Andrew leads makeup artistry workshops for the students at The High School of Fashion Industries. See his work at DramaFreeMakeup.com
