I have always disliked lipstick. Why? I wish I knew. Although, as I write this, it occurs to me that, as a generally big-picture person, it makes sense that as I grow into my own style idiom I first focus on clothes and hair, then shoes, followed by the finer details such as jewelry and makeup. It is a process. More detail-oriented women may begin by dressing more simply and completing their ensembles with a little jewelry and makeup, later moving into wardrobe upgrades.
I find, as I get older, that I like bare lips less than I used to, so I am in somewhat of a conundrum and not very motivated to get out of it. Recently, however, I have noticed a little more interest in trying some of the new lip color products out there; especially since the lip look of the Spring 2014 moment is orange. 🙂
Then, sometime in the past several days, my internal ramblings took me to the intersection of the following thoughts:
- Unstyled versus styled hair and
- Big picture visual cues
My epiphanic conclusion:
lipstick is a big picture visual cue that this is a styled look.
Our natural lip color often fades as we get older. I’m a non-lipstick wearer who is now devoted to Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm. Sheer color rather than opaque color. It might be a good starting point.
I did buy my Max Factor Whipped Creme from eBay. Reasonable – only maybe twice what would have cost at drugstore eons ago. The Ultralucent is loooong discontinued. I checked UK eBay and they had something – must be 40 or 50 years old 😀 – but in a glide on stick. I’ll pass.
Although I will go out without lipstick if I feel like it, mostly I’ve been wearing it practically daily since I was a young girl. I think of it as sensual/sexy. Good point, though, about it equaling a styled look. I just read something yesterday that made this point but can’t remember where. I have trouble with styled hair. It looks fine on me but I don’t want to look styled. I want to look haphazardly ladylike, tweedy, sporty, breezy what have you. Like I grabbed things to throw on and I just happen to have exquisite things. 😀 I can’t wear a red lip because it makes my mouth look too small but I might try coral or strawberry red if I could find it. And I don’t wear matte lipstick nor stain because my eyes sparkle and I like to pick up that sparkle with some sheen in the lipstick or else some gloss.
I accept that lip color fades but I think mine has always been soft enough, and my lips thin enough, that lipstick, against my Casper complexion ;), looked hoaky to me. In the past, like you Susan, I used Burt’s Bees, until I got a sunburn in it! For whatever reason, that put me off it.
I have been getting better about not going without most of the time. I found some lipsticks I liked when a friend was selling Avon. Now I am using this:
Maybelline New York Color Whisper by Color Sensational Lipcolor, 0.11 Ounce
It is like a step more pigmented than Burt’s Bees but still sheer and comes in some lighter, brighter colors.
I absolutely LOVE the look of gloss and shine on lips, prob’ly for the same reason as you Vildy, but I am afraid it brings up the other reason I haven’t liked lip color: it becomes awkward to be kissed ;). The hero is better – now that we have been together nearly 30 years! – about putting up with it.
Oh! And I am working hard these days at styling my hair messy (it actually comes pretty naturally). Lol.
Perhaps there is a better way to describe what I mean: the difference between hair that just hangs there either because it is cut so severely that it can do little else or because it is longer and just worn hanging or in a pony, and hair that is stylish, whether or not alot of effort went into it, and whether it is haphazardly chic or structured.
Hmmm. More to chew on. I feel, in a way, like I am conceding a lack of natural beauty by giving in to wearing makeup, even though I have worn some most of my life; and almost complete makeup for years now. I still wish I was that girl that could go out without makeup and be stunning. However, I looked up some pictures of Katie Holmes yesterday and they were very inspirational when it comes to wanting to wear makeup! Lol