The New Makeup

I saw a Japanese painting that had been painted on glass.

It was painted on the back of the glass, which meant that the artist painted the foremost features first. Then he/she painted the parts behind. How clever and how difficult.

The painting on glass gave me the idea for future makeup.

A person will dial in their preferred makeup and the machine will make a sheet of clear plastic with the makeup on it - with the finest detail nearest the sheet and the layers built up to the foundation creme.

The sheet will be moulded to the shape of that person's face. Lasers will scan the face to do that. They won't need to scan every day, just now and again as the face ages.

The machine will place the sheet on the person's face and the heat of their face will transfer the makeup in a second.

All you have to do is peel off the plastic sheet and voila! - makeup all done.

It will be a flop at first because people like to do their own makeup - in the same way that people liked to do their own cooking.

But then people will become hooked and it will take off big time.

There will be portable versions in cars and self-service versions in the ladies' rooms of swanky hotels and restaurants.

And everyone will be happy.

Here's a song by Donal Fagen about the future: