Actress Merle Palmiste is the woman who opens her makeup bag for Stellarium this week. I met Merle Palmiste for the first time at the age of 20 when I was writing the TV series "Waba Riik" where she played the murderer I had created. Ever since our roads have crossed every once in a while. Meeting Merle is always like a trip to an exotic land - she has incredible stories to tell about her roles and travels that are surely bigger than life. Merle welcomed us in the dressing room of the Drama Theater.
When local glamour magazines test cosmetics, Merle always gets an invitation. She has helped to pick the best cosmetic products, the most red lipsticks and different perfumes. But long before Merle conquered stages and magazine covers with her red lips, she made trips to her mother's makeup bag as a little girl. Merle's mother is a black-haired and always perfectly made up dame, and the actress reminisces that there have always been a lot of cosmetics at her home. Merle used to knick lipstick from her mother, and she also found use for the blush. Today, red lips are her signature.
Merle says that makeup is magical in its own way: "When you're in a bad mood, you do your makeup, and the mood gets better." The everyday rituals for the actress are lighter foundation for the spring and thicker for the winter - it's like a garment that protects the skin. Additionally, Merle uses red lipstick and mascara before leaving the house. Design is no lesser part of products. Merle finds that perfectly designed lipsticks, powder tins, and perfumes create a totally different feeling - you get the emotion of a boudoir. But the most important for Merle is invisible to others: "My weakness is lingerie and perfumes. They are things that are for yourself, and hidden for others." Merle has two makeup tables - one at home, and the other one in the dressing room at the theatre. It means that part of her endless perfume collection ends up in the dressing room.
Merle has used various perfumes on the stage to get in the role better. "For example, when we started doing "Kirsiaed" ("Cherry Garden"), I bought a Guepard perfume in a golden box, and that perfume bottle reminded me of the Russian Drama Theatre. I also felt that it suited the character I played." When sun starts shining and birds singing in the spring, Merle starts craving yellow and green colours. It means that a yellow primrose will find its way to her home, orange and citrus scents are of preference. And of course spring longs for a fuchsia lipstick, and some new perfumes. Soon Merle will travel to Paris, and she's planning on buying Lancome's perfume there that's made for the millenium "2000 et Une Rose Lancome". Every spring Guerlain brings out a new lily of the valley perfume, and Merle is planning on meeting the newcomers in Paris. "I really like Guerlain's scented candles and their headquarters in Paris. You can dream big! But Tallinn is an ideal place for perfume connoisseurs - my praise goes both to Crème de la Crème perfumerie and the perfume room of Tallinna Kaubamaja."
How to look like a million dollars? Merle says that for her, this means a long sleep and good mood. The latter is the most important. Beauty starts within. Merle's beauty motto: "You have to take care of yourself. A flower doesn't grow when you don't water or fertilise it. And a woman is like a flower."
Näitleja Merle Palmiste on naine, kes avab sel nädalal Stellariumile oma kosmeetikakoti. Mina kohtasin Merlet esimest korda 20aastaselt, kui kirjutasin teleseriaali "Waba Riik", kus ta mängis minu loodud mõrvarit. Sellest ajast on meie teed ikka ja jälle ristunud. Kohtumine Merlega alati justkui reis eksootilisele maale - tal on rääkida erakordseid lugusid oma rollidest ja reisidest, mis on kahtlemata suuremad, kui elu ise. Merle võttis meid vastu Draamateatri garderoobis. See on maagiline paik, kus leidub ainulaadseid kostüüme, vanu postkaarte ja tekstiraamatuid.
PHOTOS: Meisi Volt |
Merle on alati sätitud ja kõrgetel kontsadel. Kuidas näha välja nagu miljon dollarit? Merle ütleb, et tema jaoks on selleks pikk uni ja hea tuju. Viimane on kõige olulisem. Ilu algab seestpoolt." Merle ilumoto on aga lihtne: "Enda eest peab hoolitsema. Lill ei kasva, kui sa teda ei kasta ega väeta. Naine on ju lill."