EveryDayGlam! Beauty Tip
Temporary lip tattoos will dissolve in oil. You can use olive or coconut oil to get them off without having to scrub. This makes using lip tattoos on a daily basis so much easier. Of course, it also means Mom can check to see if a tattoo is real or not. Don’t mess with Mom!
Daisy grabbed her makeup day-bag and checked for brushes. Last year she forgot to pack them and ended up using her finger to apply eye shadow in the bathroom. Thank goodness it was during Madelyn Stewart’s class and the bathroom was a ghost town. Everyone wanted advice from the owner of the Hart to Heart channel
She couldn’t afford even a small mistake this year. “It’ll be fine. Everything is going to turn out just fine … as long as I find my raspberry lip gloss!” She tore apart her samples drawer, searching for the one shade of gloss that didn’t clash with her shirt.
“Aha!” Tossing the tube into her oversized purse, she double-checked for her laptop with the class slides and headed out the door.
Vivian stood in the kitchen, one arm crossed over her body. Jason ate a bowl of the sugary cereal Vivian wouldn’t buy him but Daisy kept in the pantry just for mornings like this. She took her keys out of the bowl by the door. “We have to pick up my mom on the way, so we need to hurry. Jason, how close are you?”
“Five bites.”
It was cereal, so bite equaled spoonful, but whatever. That was not enough time to make a smoothie. She glanced at Beckett’s lumpy form on the couch. He hadn’t moved, so she guessed he hadn’t made her breakfast. Oh well. She could get a cup of something to fill her tummy at the conference.
“You’ll have to go without me.” Vivian took up occupancy on the empty barstool. “My sitter fell through.”
Quinton stumbled into the room, rubbing his eyes. He had on a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a tight T-shirt that accentuated his frame nicely. Vivian’s eyes about popped out. She quickly busied herself smoothing Jason’s hair down.
Daisy clamped her teeth together to keep from yelling, “Caught ya!” She glanced at Jason and then back to Vivian. “You have to come. KPaka will be there and they’re taking your class. You represent EveryDayGlam!” Besides that, MyHeartChannel was recording every class. They’d been promoting Daisy and Vivian’s segments for weeks now. If Vivian didn’t show up, the world would know about it.
“I know, but I don’t have another place for him to go.” She gave Daisy a please-don’t-talk-about-this-in-front-of-him look. The last thing either of them wanted was for Jason to feel like a burden. He wasn’t. He was a blessing and deserved to feel like one every day.
Daisy gave her a please-come-please-please-please look right back. Normally she was the world’s most understanding boss when it came to putting Jason first, but this was huge and she needed Vivian to blow it out of the water today. A no-show was unprofessional and not at all the image she wanted to send to KPaka.
Quinton’s head bounced back and forth between them. He threw his hand up like he wanted the teacher to call on him. “I’ll take him.”
Vivian blanched.
“Hey, Jason, wanna go to work with me?” he asked before Vivian could politely refuse him.
Jason dropped his spoon in the bowl. “With all the animals? Do you still have puppies?”
“We have one puppy.”
“Can I, Mom?”
“I don’t know …” Vivian rubbed her forehead. “It’s too much to ask Quinton. He’s working.”
Quinton placed both hands on Jason’s shoulders. “And I could use a good assistant.” He waited a beat while Vivian debated. “I’m taking that as a yes.”
“Yes!” Jason did a fist pump. “I’ll get my backpack.”
“I’ll get dressed.” The two ran in opposite directions.
Daisy sighed, wondering how on earth Beckett could sleep through all this. He was probably used to jungle noises and stuff. She blew him a kiss, not wanting to disturb his slumber, and ushered Vivian out the door. She caught Jason on his way in and gave him a hug and a kiss goodbye.
Daisy rubbed Vivian’s back. “You okay with this.” If Vivian wasn’t, they’d bring Jason with them and trade off watching him. He’d be bored beyond measure unless they could find the Montana Mountain Man. Jason loved watching him fish and hunt and tromp through the woods like he owned them.
Vivian paused like she was scanning feelings. “Oddly enough, I’m okay with Quinton taking Jason.”
Daisy nodded once and climbed behind the wheel. Vivian made progress today. That was a good sign, an omen that things were going to go their way. She backed out of the drive full of optimism. Today was going to be a great day.
Four hours later, Daisy wrapped up her class, held in an extra-large room to accommodate her subscribers, full of applause. She let out a sigh, releasing a week’s worth of stress. A sense of accomplishment mingled with a performer’s high allowing her smile to be genuine and fresh instead of tense as it had been before the class. Teri, the KPaka rep, was one of the first people in the room. She’d walked in wearing black slacks and a charcoal blouse. A thin, diamond bracelet set in silver graced her left wrist, and a liquid silver chain bounced against her chest as she walked. But what Daisy noticed most was that she didn’t wear any makeup. Had she shown up in one of Daisy’s signature looks that she’d created for her channel, Daisy would have felt secure in her future with KPaka. However, the woman was Switzerland with no loyalties. She sat on the front row to the far left.
During the class, Daisy outlined her journey from awkward teen with a laptop camera to MyHeartChannel star, explaining the steps she took along the way. Some of the attendees wanted to jump from first upload to sponsorship, but there were dues to pay and an audience to build before the larger corporations would even take a look at your channel. She’d done what she loved for the sake of following her passion and the money followed. That was the secret formula that get-rich-quick channel owners didn’t want to acknowledge. They thought she’d scammed the system or that she’d gotten in before there was so much competition and therefore had an edge. Maybe. But that didn’t make the process any different. She’d worked hard and continued to work hard at what she did.
And she loved it.
She breathed in through her nose as if what she did for a living had a smell she could savor. At times like this, when she could look her subscribers in the eye, an overwhelming sense of love and responsibility filled her up. The applause died down and women surged forward in a semicircle, trapping her against the projection screen.
Mom arrived to unhook Daisy’s laptop and organize her things, just like Daisy had done all those years ago for Mom. She was still a known face for MyHeartChannel and several women paused to talk to her as she worked.
“Can I get your autograph?” asked a woman wearing Daisy’s signature Business Day Eye and her Wowza Lips.
“Sure.” Daisy took the 5 x 7 glossy photo MyHeartChannel had placed inside attendees’ gift bags. She used a metallic sharpie to sign her name with a flourish. If a fan emailed her, she wrote them a personalized note, but that would take all day and the organizers needed this room. “I love that eye shadow on you, by the way. It’s a beautiful match with your skin tone.”
“Thank you!” the woman gushed, pressing the picture to her chest. “I watch your channel every day.”
“Thanks!” Daisy gave her a quick hug and moved on to the next eager face.
This woman wore the Halloween Hopeful eye shadow. The purple matched a streak in her black hair. Though the heavy shadow was fun for Halloween, not a lot of women could pull it off as a day face. She’d sat in the exact middle of the room, hiding behind her hair through most of the class.
“You are rockin’ that look, girl.” Daisy hugged her hello. She felt the lady relax into her as if the physical contact were a healing balm.
They chatted for a moment about makeup removal. “I’m going to tag a short segment on the end of that video about using olive oil on the eyelids. Thank you so much for stopping to talk to me today.”
The woman, Trudy, went in for one more hug and then she left the group with her chin high, her hair falling gently to the side.
“Excuse me. Excuse me.” Felicity, the conference committee member who was in charge of making sure Daisy got to all the right places, elbowed her way through the group. She was a full head taller than anyone else, which made it easy to follow her progress. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail that exposed an inch of brown roots, and she had smudged the green eyeliner on her left eye.
Daisy motioned her closer and people parted to let her in. She made eye contact and smiled at Teri, who had been listening in and Daisy didn’t even know it. Her nerves ratcheted back up and she was thankful for that extra layer of deodorant this morning.
Felicity tripped into the circle. “Thanks! Okay, so I just got a message that one of our panelists is a no-show.”
The people within hearing distance gasped. Once again, Daisy was grateful for Quinton. If he hadn’t taken Jason, EveryDayGlam! would be the one getting the dirty looks.
Felicity pushed her glasses up. “Would you mind filling in?”
Daisy worked not to glance at Teri, wondering what she thought about the presentation. “What’s the topic?”
“It’s super easy. It’s a Q&A. Any question is game.”
Daisy was scheduled for two other panels this weekend. Other than that, she had hours in the signing room. And being on another panel was a great way to market herself. “Sure. I’d be happy to help.”
Felicity bounced on the balls of her feet. “Thank you so, so much!” She flipped around. “Okay, everyone, Daisy will be in the Aspen room in five minutes. Please let us through.”
There was a collective groan before people began to move.
“She will be at the signing desk later this afternoon.” Felicity took Daisy’s hand. Someone grabbed Daisy’s other hand, and she turned to find Mom toting the laptop bag and grinning with pride. Daisy squeezed her fingers, thankful for her support. She really was the world’s greatest mother.
With Felicity leading the way like an Amazon warrior princess, it didn’t take long before Daisy was at the bottom of three steps that led to a platform. There were five chairs set up, four of them full. On the far end sat Brittany. She looked tiny compared to Ledger Price, who did videos about surviving in the forest with just a pocket knife and a few pine cones. Daisy’s stomach sank. Thankfully Brittany hadn’t seen her yet.
Felicity cupped her hand around her earpiece and stepped to the side. “I’ve got her here. Yeah, give us a few minutes.”
Daisy smoothed her sticky palms down her hips. She could ignore Brittany’s online comments and the way she bashed Daisy’s station time and again—for the most part. It was easy to let water roll off your back if you weren’t standing in the rain. But being face-to-face with Brittany always left Daisy sick to her stomach. Brittany wasn’t any less mean or confrontational in person, and her abrasive personality created awkward silences. Since Daisy worked to not engage with the toxic woman, she often left looking like she’d been run over—even though she chose to stay on the side of the road and let Brittany run herself into the ground.
Mom nudged her up the steps.
“I can’t,” Daisy hissed. “Brittany’s up there.”
Mom moved so she could see around Daisy. She squinted. “That’s her, all right.”
Daisy placed herself in Mom’s line of vision for fear that she’d melt Brittany right there with her death stare and throw the first stone.
“This is a good opportunity for you to practice what you preach. Show your viewers what it means to let your beauty shine through. They’ll notice the difference between you two and they’ll see the light you spread into the world.”
Daisy cringed. “Why do you have to go all ‘Mommy is right on me’ right now?”
Mom laughed. She had a good laugh, deep and throaty. When she was little, Daisy tried to imitate the sound when she laughed, but Quinton told her she sounded like Santa Claus, so she gave it up.
Mom hugged her tight. “You can do this.”
Daisy nodded, her chin bouncing against Mom’s shoulder. “Okay. I’m going.”
The first step was the easiest. Each additional one that took her closer to the empty chair on the end, and therefore closer to Brittany, grew in difficulty. She tucked her hair behind her ear. She’d worn it down in big curls today, and after seeing Brittany’s tumbled braid, she was glad.
A stagehand gave them each a mic and had them say “test” into it once. Right behind him came the moderator, who introduced himself and shook their hands. He faced the crowd and called the room to attention, explaining that anyone with a question should line up behind one of the mics. They’d go for an hour and then he’d call time.
People scrambled for a line, making Daisy smile.
“Hi. My question is for Daisy. How did you and Beck meet?” The girl flipped her hair over shoulder. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen.
Daisy lifted her mic, careful to keep her voice low enough not to cause feedback. “Beck is my brother’s best friend. I’ve known him since we were children.”
“Next question,” prompted the moderator.
“Hi, I’m Kierra, and my question is also for Daisy. Now that Beck’s makeover is done—” The rest of her question was drown out by catcalls, whistles, and applause.
Daisy grinned. “I’m glad you’re all happy with the results.”
The moderator motioned for them to simmer down and for the woman to repeat her question.
“Are you planning to make him a permanent part of your channel?”
Daisy tipped her head, considering. “I’m not opposed to having him on there more, but he has a job and will probably leave the country soon.” Boos and groans filled the room. “I know. I wish he would stay too.”
Her gaze darted to her mom, standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyebrows lowered. Daisy hoped the next question was about restoring an antique flamethrower—heck, she’d take a question for Brittany to get the spotlight off this topic.
“Daisy,” the woman at the far right mic addressed her. “It looks like there’s something going on between you and Beck off camera. Can you confirm this for your fans?”
The whole room took in a breath, hovering on the edge of the question, waiting to fall into joy or misery based on her answer. This wasn’t exactly how she wanted her parents to find out about her new boyfriend, but she couldn’t lie to a room full of people. She hated lying to one person. This simply had to be done. She faced her mom and lifted the mic. “Yes, Beck and I have been seeing each other.”
The crowd screamed and cheered. Her mom? Not so much. She folded her arms and gave Daisy a we’ll talk about this later look.
Okay, so not telling her mom was a bad thing. Telling her in front of a room full of people was worse. But dating Beckett was not a bad thing. He was good and gentle and happy and being with him was as natural as breathing. Mom would just have to understand all that.
“Hi, my question is for all of you. What would you say is the key to your success?”
Brittany had her mic to her lips before the woman finished her question. “I think being authentic on camera is the key. Nobody is perfect. No one is nice all the time.” She looked pointedly at Daisy. A few snickers came from the crowd.
Daisy’s muscles tightened in a weird fight-or-flight response to Brittany’s answer. It was weird, because there was no reason to run away and she certainly wasn’t going to fight Brittany on or off stage. Especially not with Teri in the audience. She doubted KPaka would want to partner with a woman involved in a catfight. There were dozens of phones up, recording every moment of this event. Of all people, Daisy knew how quickly a video could go viral.
Staying true to her don’t engage a dragon philosophy, Daisy smiled sweetly and shrugged her shoulders. It was the best noncommittal move she had. There was no sense jumping in to defend herself—her actions spoke louder than her words ever would.
The next person in line stepped to the mic. “Daisy, what message do you want viewers to take away from watching your channel?”
This was an easy answer. “To be their best self and let their beauty shine through. Like Brittany said, no one is perfect, but if we’re trying our best in life, then we are beautiful. It’s a standard my mom instilled in me at a young age.” She smiled at her mom, hoping to win a few points back after not telling her about Beckett. Mom’s small smile said she’d succeeded.
“So you want every young girl to look just like you?”
Daisy whipped her head back to the woman at the mic and her accusatory tone. She hadn’t moved like she was supposed to after asking her question and stood with folded arms, tapping her foot. Upon closer inspection, Daisy could see the 45-degree swoop to her brown eyeliner. A swoop Brittany swore took five years off a woman’s face.
While Daisy could ignore or dodge Brittany’s attacks, not answering this question was not an option. She lifted the mic. “Not at all. I want each girl, each woman, to find her inner beauty. I want to inspire them to stand out because of their individual light and talents.”
“I disagree,” said Brittany.
Of course you do. Daisy just managed to keep her smile in place.
“My mother used to say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” She pulled her braid over her shoulder like a queen draping herself with a cape. “I’m not handing out my beauty secrets so women can pick and choose which ones they think will work best. They watch my channel because I have the training and the knowledge to back up what I say. My tips work for everyone.”
Daisy almost swallowed her tongue in her efforts not to break apart everything Brittany just said.
First of all, she acted like her mom came up with the phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” That saying has been around for centuries.
Second, Daisy had just as much training—if not more—than Brittany.
Third, Brittany’s tips didn’t work for everyone. If Daisy used half the pinks and corals Brittany did, she’d look like a yam.
She worked to keep her face neutral as she turned back to face the crowd. As her eyes scanned those seated, she found Teri. It was almost easy, because she was one of the few women who weren’t wearing makeup. Daisy expected to see her frowning or at least impassive at what Brittany had to say. Instead, she was nodding.
Nodding along with Brittany.
That was just not right.
Daisy had sort of an out-of-her-own-head moment. She could see the people on stage and the crowd, but things were clearer, slower, giving her time before the next question to change her answer or add to it. She recounted her words, looking for a place to edit. Like she could splice in a new sentence or two. No, she’d said what she believed and would let it stand.
Time sped back up and the next question was asked, this one for the cookie guru in the middle.
Daisy crossed her ankles and angled her knees. She’d done and said the right thing, but something felt very wrong—like a paradigm shift in the universe. She didn’t like the feeling, because it also came with a sense that she’d lost.
It was because she’d had to deal with Brittany. That must be it. Daisy turned her attention back to the panel and learned all about why she shouldn’t grease a cookie sheet if she wanted thick cookies.