Expressing our love for those we care about can be done in many different ways. For some it’s buying gifts; for others, it’s spending quality time. For 84-year-old Des Monahan, it’s learning how to his wife’s makeup.
Last October, Des Monahan decided that he was going to learn how to do his wife Mona’s makeup after she started losing her eyesight, MSN News reported.
Mona, 83, was told that her eyesight would not only get worse over the next couple of years, but that she would eventually lose it altogether.
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Her husband’s immediate reaction? To learn how to perfect his wife’s makeup routine.
For the past eight months, Des has been taking makeup lessons at a local department store, where makeup artist Rosie O’driscoll has been instructing him.
It’s taken plenty of dedication, but he has finally reached the point where he can apply his wife’s makeup without needing any corrections or help. He can accurately draw on Mona’s eyebrows, apply her bronzer and blush, lipstick and even mascara.
He even joked that now that he can do his wife’s makeup, he should start teaching a makeup masterclass tutorial because he’s basically a pro.
“We don’t know when Mona will lose her sight completely but we didn’t want to wait around for it to happen,” he said.
Des explained that one day he was with his wife at the Benefit makeup counter at Debenham’s, the British department store, when O’driscoll first did Mona’s makeup. Shortly afterward, he asked her if she could show him how to do the makeup as well.
“Mona’s eyesight is deteriorating and she won’t be able to do her make-up in the future so I thought the quicker I learned the better,” he explained.
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Monahan added that O’driscoll has become a friend to him and his wife, and that they visit her on a daily basis.
“Rosie has been a great friend to us and we go in daily to see her and so I can get more tips. It all started last October but I am now so confident with using make-up that I could even teach my own class,” he said.
“Des took the brushes and said ‘that’s easy, I can to do that,” O’Driscoll said of their first encounter. “They are such a lovely couple and Des loved learning how to help Mona from the very beginning. It was obvious Mona was losing her sight and he wanted to help her in any way he could. I know from being in the make-up industry that applying make-up each morning helps people with their confidence as well as it being something they enjoy. I’m thrilled that Des now has the confidence to start trialing new looks”
“We have such a laugh when they come onto the counter at Benefit but we are friends outside of Debenhams too,” she added. “I have been over to their house for a cup of tea and they come into the store most days for a catch-up.”
O’driscoll also added that Des has gotten to a point where he has developed his own preferences for his wife’s makeup.
“If Des doesn’t like a certain lipstick color on Mona, he’ll tell me straight away,” she explained. “He prefers using a pencil to draw in her brows and is very particular with the looks we try on his wife.”
O’driscoll believes that the Monahans’ story demonstrates that no matter your age, you are never too old to learn something new — especially something that might take you out of your comfort zone, as Des demonstrated.
“Des had never picked up a makeup brush before but look at him now, I’m so proud of him. We’ve had so many older people come into see us at the Benefit counter since Des started,”O’driscoll said.
Mona is also grateful for her husband’s new hobby, as it is a great help to her already.
“Des uses eyeliners and lipsticks I wouldn’t be able to use myself. I struggle to see the colors of different shades now but thanks to Des I now know my makeup will always look great,” she explained.
“When we first started he had no idea what brushes to use for each part of the face but now he’s an expert,” O’driscoll shared.
It’s an inspiring story of loving, humble service.
Watch the full video of Des doing Mona’s makeup below:
(H/T: MSN News)