Samantha’s electric blue eyeshadow brightens the dim-lit enoteca

Before taking our New Year’s resolutions seriously, my gang and I planned one last carb-filled hurrah at a favorite haunt, Buona Forchetta in South Park. We decided to check out the neighboring Enoteca for a glass of wine while we waited for a table. As I settled onto my barstool, I instantly noticed the server’s electric blue eyeshadow against the dim-lit ambiance. Her oversized disc earrings waved hello as she asked for our orders, speaking in an accent I couldn’t place. Minutes later, while setting down my glass of sangria, she displayed a set of multicolor sparkling nails. That’s when I blurted out my curiosity and admiration for her vibrant style touches.

As she tended bar, I got to know a little more about the soon-to-be 47-year-old Samantha who hails from Eritrea in East Africa. “I’ve been called eclectic... that’s just what I’ve been told,” she said coolly, while rinsing glasses.

Samantha kept her hair tucked back with a classic bandana head scarf and layered a striped tank top underneath a loose-hanging quarter-sleeve shirt. Ripped jeans and black sherpa-lined boots completed her outfit.

Her statement earrings were a find from Wish, an online shopping app. “I found like 30 pairs for a dollar. I guess when you purchase a certain amount from them, they give you their offer. And I found this and I was like, ‘Score!’”

Having seen the Wish ads myself, I was amazed to find someone who had tested and confirmed that the deals were real. “Yeah, I bought 30, but I’ve lost about 15,” she joked, “But they’re a dollar... so I don’t really care!”

Other pieces of her jewelry carried more sentiment. “Some of these don’t come off,” she said gently patting several bracelets and necklaces. “This one I’ve had since I was 4, and the other two are what my mom gave me throughout the years.”

About that blue eyeshadow, “I belong to this subscription to IPSY, they send you samples. For $12 a month, you get a bag of fantastic makeup. Every now and then they’ll throw in a full piece.”

Samantha doesn’t overthink her fashion choices, “I just wake up and I’m like, ‘Ok this goes well with that’ and I put it on, and it looks right,” she explained. “Sometimes I try to match, sometimes I just put stuff together and it works.”

Most often, she shops online or at discount stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, or Burlington. We all laughed in agreement with her shopping mantra, “Hey, whatever doesn’t break the bank!”