For the love of red lipstick

And in the name of vanity....



Back story:
I don't mind getting older and try to embrace each new year with as much grace as I can muster. I haven't opted for Botox, Restylane, microdermabrasion or facial reconstruction but I've obviously done some research because I didn't have to spellcheck those words. That said, one of the benefits of age is an increased self-confidence and decreased concern about what others think.

I've always wanted to wear red lipstick but never had the nerve. One sunny day last summer full of positive self worth, I visited the Chanel counter and purchased an extraordinarily expensive tube of red lipstick. The next day, I applied the lip liner and lipstick feeling like I'd reached some higher plane of cosmetic hierarchy. Well, if you're over the age of 40, you may know the rest of the story. I spied myself in the mirror a couple of hours later and saw thin red lines heading toward my nostrils. Not sophisticated. Not pretty. The Chanel lipstick ended up in the bottom of the makeup drawer.


Fast forward:

I get the weekly newsletters from Sephora and save them for late night viewing. A couple weeks ago I saw the ad for Duwop, read the reviews and doled out more for this product than I had for my cherished Chanel Passion #14. It's a reverse lip liner that forms a seal around your lips, creating a barrier to seal in color. Like magic. It came in Monday's mail and I tested it out.

It works just like the wax resist process used in batik dyeing. I'm thinking someone on the product development team attended art school and then changed her major to business because her parents refused to finance a masters in fine art. So she banged out an MBA and applied for jobs in graphic design and visual arts but got discouraged and responded to an ad for a junior assistant to a product specialist at Duwop. As they brainstormed ideas for lip-related cosmetics, and her knowledge of textile manipulation inspired the breakthrough. Ta da....the reverse lip liner.

Bottom line:
It works. It's something I like and want to share. I'd rather wear red lipstick than a red hat. Here's to a healthy dose of vanity and self indulgence. Cheers!