A good foundation was the key to success. Cathy-Ann knew this to be as true as the inevitability of death. But sometimes she had to treat the skin before applying makeup.
A bruise stretched from behind the left ear, under the eye and marred the whole nose. The deep purple contrasted sharply with the rest of the face, making the pallor seem almost jaundiced. Such was the size of the discolouring, Cathy-Ann was amazed the nose had not been broken. After some consideration, she decided that she would not need to use the electric-powered airbrush.
First things first, she thought, lifting her eyes to the hairline. Dry red hair hung limply, what had once been vivid scarlet now looking like dried blood. The sight of dark brown roots only added to the image of an aging wound.
Cathy-Ann took a comb and a small spray can and began the painstaking work. Starting at the left side, she took a small lock of hair in her fingers, no more than an inch wide, and carefully combed the hair forward. With a quick squirt of red paint, she gave new life to the roots, ensuring the colour blended smoothly with the remainder of the hair before moving on to the next strand. For the next three hours, Cathy-Ann repeated the process until the whole head of hair was once more vibrant and exciting.
Once finished, she moved back to the face. Fingers gingerly probed the left cheek and she sighed with relief to find resistance underneath. Although experience had taught her that a broken cheekbone was usually betrayed by a sagging of the flesh, she knew it was better to find out for certain.
Satisfied that she did not need to employ the Plastina or ceramic file, Cathy-Ann opened her makeup case and studied the contents. The large container resembled a workman’s toolbox and was filled with a plethora of different sized bottles and tubes.
She selected a wide tub of high-pigment foundation and poured a generous portion of the thick liquid onto the back of her gloved hand. She then sprinkled on a few dashes from a smaller bottle of mineral powder of the same hue and carefully mixed the two together, the warmth of her hand aiding the process.
When she was content the consistency was even, she took a horse-hair brush and grazed it over the makeup before turning the brush to the face. Working slowly and delicately, Cathy-Ann tapped the brush onto the skin and gently feathered the foundation into a blended covering.
She began on the left side, working forward from the ear, under the eye and on to the nose. Making sure that every visible sign of the bruise was covered, she then applied a coat of the foundation to the rest of the face.
She spent more than two hours carefully applying the makeup to mask the bruise and the pallor which had so disfigured the beautiful face. When she finally sat back to inspect her handiwork, she smiled with satisfaction.
Dressed in formal wear, with newly luscious hair and a face which would rival Helen of Troy herself, Billie was finally ready for her family.
With a sense of pride borne of a job well done, Cathy-Ann walked out of the mortuary.
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