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Hermanas!!!

My bad. I know. I have been unceremoniously MIA for a couple of weeks. Thanks to all of you who dropped me an email or Twittered me to find out where the blip I was, and when was I coming back. It meant a lot. You all are my inspiration and drive to continue blogging away makeup woes.

NOW.... We all know Salma looks fab wearing whatever; and we all adore Rhianna's ways with makeup (though I personally think that girl needs to undergo some serious domestic violence awareness, hmpf...). That's all very, very nice. But how about people in our daily lives? Who was it that first made you realize that a red pout and a smokey eye was the way to go???

I was born in a family of very, and I mean very beautiful women (I am the ugly duckling people). Since I was a little girl, I remember very very clearly two of my aunts: Lukas and Cuca. These two wonderful and powerful hermanas stopped traffic -and still do- during those days when I was a child.

Lukas is my dad's baby sister. She used to sport one of those really funky half-perms a-la Saturday Night Fever (and she had the moves, too), and wear makeup like a disco queen. I tell you, Lukas had nothing to ask from the 1970 dancing divas. I remember sitting next to her in awe and observing the whole beauty ritual. Oh. My.God. She would apply her makeup with calm, taking her sweet time and making sure everything was in place before and after. Took her forever and was worth

Lukas was a mage in keeping her makeup collection clean as I have never seen since. She would always keep a little towel nearby to dust excess powders, and would clean her implements religiously. She would always talk while she was 'putting her face on', and share her consejos (tips) with us girls. To this day, both her daughter, our beloved Beba; the super duper Mamita Financiera and yours truly swear by her tips and continue the tradition. One of them: always separate your eyelashes after putting on mascara. Always.

Now, Cuca. If you thought Diana Ross was the Dark Bomb in stilettos; you were not hanging out in the coolest places in Mexico City. Cuca is one impressive 6' 3" morenaza. Sweet chocolate sexyness. Hear Her Roar.

I have yet to see someone put on falsies in less than 15 seconds and in one try, or whip a cat eye liquid liner in one -oh yes, one- stroke. Oh my God did she bat those eyelashes!!! Wooha, I tell you. Many a hombre succumbed to her enchanting ways, never to be the same again. For a darker skinned woman in a time where there were no IMAN cosmetics; she managed to figure out ways of combining her foundation with her moisturizer (this is the 70's ladies, no such thing as beauty bloggers), mixing her blushes and eye shadows, etc.

Lukas and Cuca are physically very, very different. But they both embraced what nature gave them and always pointed the onlooker to that direction using makeup. And a wholalot of Hot Mexican attitude. I love them dearly, and think of them often. Besos, amigas!!!

Who are your real life inspirations? Come on, we want to know!

Siempre, Bella.