Every Friday, I purchase and read WHO magazine. It’s a ritual. I read every page, including the beauty tips. As I recently read advice on how to achieve the perfect matte red lip, it occurred to me: I can’t remember the last time I wore lipstick.
In high school (the nineties, baby) I was a fan of Australis and Covergirl lipsticks in frosty shades. As I got older, looking back at my formal photos, I was a slave to a dark, almost velvety red/brown lipstick. It was not my finest hour.
Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE having fun with my lips, but without lipstick. I own lip-gloss, lip butter, lip tint, lip stain, lip plumping balm. My brands range from Estee Lauder lip-gloss, Lancôme Juicy Tubes, Napoleon Love Bite- right down to good old Bonnie Bell Lipsmackers.
My current daily lip accompaniment? Lipsmackers. At the moment, I’m addicted to the Vanilla Coke flavour. It gives a nice, moisturizing gloss without that punch of colour.
Maree’s lippy collection
When I go to parties, I still hold back on the lips. Probably a gloss with a pinch of pearly colour and that’s it. I’ve grown up believing that when you wear makeup, you don’t do dark, heavy eyes as well as a bold lip. It’s an either/or situation. Because my eye makeup is so dark and smoky, I just hold back when it comes to the lips.
It’s strange because as a kid, lipstick was the item of makeup I was desperate to play with out of mums makeup bag. When I was deemed ‘old enough’ to wear makeup, I gravitated towards lipstick. And like I’ve said, I still own too many ‘lipstick alternatives’.
So on posing the question of ‘when did I last wear actual lipstick?’ to myself, the answer is as a bridesmaid in 2004. Do I miss it? Obviously not.
When I DO wear a full face of makeup, I choose my eyes over my lips any day of the week. But the lips don’t go without; they just play a background role. So yep: I kissed lipstick goodbye.
Do YOU wear lipstick regularly? Could you cope with a makeup bag that is free of lipstick? What beauty product have you kissed goodbye?
