First, Rarity opened the bottle of foundation, and carefully squeezed the perfect amount onto her porcelain hoof. She delicately dabbed, until she was satisfied that it was perfect. The foundation was beautiful, and beautifully expensive. She's made sure everypony had seen her sail into the shop and buy it.
Don't let them see you...
She was efficiency personified as she coated on power to keep the foundation in place for longer. This powder was from Las Pegasus, and although Rarity tended to think that Las Pegasus was rowdy and cheap and stale, it wasn't all bad. There was a few shops that only the richest pony could buy from, only ones who was rich and popular and had lots and lots of friends, could buy from. She made sure ponies saw her but that.
Don't let the mask slip...
She doubled her cheekbones with some blusher, and outlined her eyes with black eyeliner, making sure that there wasn't a single wobble.
Make sure you're nothing less than perfect...
Rarity opened her drawers to find the biggest, most impressive set of false eyelashes, and carefully stuck them on. They were big and bushy, and probably worth more than some of her dresses.
Don't mess up...
Finally, she found her red lipstick and her favourite eyeshadow, which went perfectly with her indigo mane and sapphire eyes, dyed and styled every week so that she always was looking her best. It cost a lot of money, to be sure, but that's was what being the perfect pony was about, right? Having tons of money to spend, right! Being able to throw money away on stuff she didn't care about... right?
KEEP THE MASK IN PLACE.
Rarity slipped on a gorgeous dress, the latest style from Manhattan, and found her old tiara which after all these years, still looked like it was made for Princess Twilight herself. She walked over to her mirror and anxiously checked herself.
She wanted to cry. She saw a beautifully made up pony, her hair done up with nary a strand out of place, perfect makeup and the latest dress, with only one giveaway to the mask she wore - her eyes, which were dull and sad.
Rarity had never been able to cover up her eyes with makeup. But no one noticed, anyway, so she considered herself ready for the evening.
"See you later, Opal, darling. I've left you some caviare in your dish..." Opal didn't seem to hear Rarity. She was curled up on one of Rarity's various silks and cottons, ready for an evening of snoozing. She hissed and swatted her paw as Rarity went to pick her up off it.
"Opal! No lady should ever behave in such a manner!" Rarity scolded. Opal growled menacingly, and leapt off the silk and ran from the room, fur on end.
"Now even cats don't like me," Rarity sniffed, folding the materials to place on the shelves so Opal couldn't sharpen her claws with them again.
"Whatever. I don't care. Why should I? You've got everything, Rarity. Lovely friends, lovely home, beautiful boutique, and-"
There was a loud banging from above.
"Oh my gosh, Rarity can you please shut UP down there!" Sweetie Belle yelled from her bedroom. "I've got about a billion years of homework to get through and you're not helping!"
Rarity opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Instead, a renegade tear ran down her cheek, smudging her makeup and breaking her mask. What would happen if she wore something that wasn't 'perfect'? She imagined teases, and snickers, everywhere she went. Tears pricked her eyes again. She sniffled fiercely.
She already knew she wasn't the most liked in Ponyville:
"Rarity acts so full of herself,"
"She thinks she way better than us,"
"I don't like her,"
"I hate Rarity!"
Honestly, Twi, she can be such a snob sometimes. I know we're all the Elements of Harmony, yadda yadda yadda, but I don't have to like her, do I?"
That last comment had come from Rainbow Dash. She remembered hearing her voice, opening the door and watching the two mares break off their conversation and look guiltily at the floor. She had smiled cooly, acting as if she hadn't heard a thing, and played their game, making sure her mask didn't slip the whole way through.
She'd done so much. Everyone had such a high expectation of her. She couldn't stop now.
Rarity sat down as her dressing table once more, and wiped the smudged mask and then re applied it, making it extra thick this time. She kept going and going until it was finally complete again. Then she grabbed her coat, yelled goodbye to Sweetie Belle, who didn't answer, and swept out the door, her makeup firmly in place.
This was where she faced her next problem. It was a cold, chilled night, and snow had begun falling fast. She couldn't travel to Sugar Cube corner in this weather. Sure, the cosy bakery was only ten minutes away at a brisk walk, but walking in the snow was for ponies a class lower than her own.
She looked around to see if there was any taxis available. It was ten to ten and although the taxis in Ponyville usually ran until much later, the snow combined with the dark and the chilly weather, Rarity had doubts as to whether they were still running now. Rarity sighed and groaned and complained as she shuffled through the layers of snow, towards where they kept the taxis.
When she saw the light on, her leapt leapt - then plummeted just as quickly. Two ponies were there, and they were both un harnessing themselves to turn in.
"Oh boys!" the colts turned and there was Rarity, smiling haughtily in her latest dress, her hair styled with nary a strand out of place. Their tongues practically fell out of their heads. Rarity smiled.
"Well, hi there, Sugarcube!" Applejack greeted her at Sugarcube Corner. Rarity did her usual cool smile and aloof greeting back, her eyes swivelling round the room at her friends... the other ponies. Her eyes lingered on Rainbow Dash's face. The rainbow mare held her gaze for a second, before turning and pointedly talking to Fluttershy. For one horrifying moment, Rarity thought she was going to cry again. Her face wobbled... but the mask held. She thanked Applejack for keeping the door open for her, and stepped into the bakery.
Don't let the mask slip the voice in her head told her firmly.
"I won't," she whispered back.
