Lipstick Stories

I love lipstick!! Sofia Vergara said she feels naked without lipstick. Same! Every day I choose a shade that best represents the character I feel like playing. Sometimes I use a coy pink, often I don a villainous red, but always I feel powerful whilst wearing lipstick.

Get to know me through the tales my tubes have to tell.

I was inspired by Stacey Greene's fascinating photos in her Lipstick Series NYC in 1992. She photographed how different women apply their lip. Knowing that all lipstick begins its use on a slant, it's very interesting to me how Phyllis, for example, completely rounded the stick out. Girl what?! Amy left no crumbs. Wendy & Ellen are freaks for sure.

Hot Gossip by MAC Cosmetics

Recommended to me by the iconic Ariana Grande look-alike/YouTube twin Gabi Demartino, this tube of DISCONTINUED Cremesheen lipstick has many stories to tell. First, the color itself holds sentimental value to me. I remember one time, in passing, Mim mentioned that her sister, my Aunt Tina who's passed away, loved purple lipstick. Mim said that the mauve tone reminded her Tina. With two sisters of my own, I really cherish reminders of them. I didn't know my Aunt Tina much, so as I hold on to my dwindling tube of Hot Gossip, I hold on to her. <3

With that being said, this next part of the story is going to make my friends look like total assholes.

Important Background Knowledge:

Ever since the lady at the MAC Counter in Bloomingdale's rolled her eyes and sneered at me, "That shade was discontinued years ago", I've been conserving what's left of the product.

One hallowed eve, I threw a party at my house with a bunch of friends from my freshman year of college. Much nonsense and mischief unfolded at that Halloween party, ask me about that another time; I am only concerned now with the violation of my precious lipstick that took place that night.

Long story short:

One of my favorite homies, notorious for passing out at the function, was passed out at the function. His pals found a lipstick and thought it'd be funny to smear it all over his face. It was my lipstick.

The next morning, I found my Hot Gossip defaced and loudly reprimanded "whoever did this to my lipstick", which at the time was an unknown so my anger was addressed to all my guests. You may be thinking, "Girl, calm down. It's not that deep". TRUST, my exasperation was justified for so many reasons that night. LOL. It just happened to explode out when I saw my fave shade destroyed. The culprit expressed his apologies, though I still have doubts it was his idea...

Due to the fact that I can solve any situation ever and have serious difficulty parting with things, I took a knife and sliced off the ruined half of the product, leaving no trace of the horrors it had been through.

Soft Earth by No7

This lipstick tells the tale of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad man. I went on a "first date" to a concert with this man and he posted a vid to his Insta story of me applying this shade using my phone camera as a mirror. RED FLAG. Why you posting me on the first link? I'm not your girl, I'm just some girl at this point. He was using my swag for clout and probably to make some other girl jelly. I actually recall him showing me something on this phone and a message popping up saying "Not you with another shawty". Scum. Beware ladies, it's rough out here for a cool girl. Bummy dudes are going to try to capture you and dull your sparkle, don't let such a thing occur! I'm looking out for you!!!

Romy by Chanel

This shade looks dreadful on me. But it was gifted to me by a high school friend whose mother worked in the beauty industry. I was sooo emo in class one day, about to take my scheduled in-class nap when she tapped my shoulder to ask if I wanted a Chanel lipstick. I lit up and happily accepted, feeling boujee. I wonder if she realized how badly I needed a little pick me up that day. It is possible that this lipstick saved my life. Thanks so much to her. (:

Objects of Affection Set by MAC Cosmetics

Gifted to me in 2014 by my aunt, 3 of these glosses remain in my possession to this day. Do I ever crack open these long-expired tubes? Yeah, sometimes tbh. But I refuse to throw them away because I remember how much joy this gift brought my 12 year old soul! The late pink shade (may she rest in peace), Fashion Whim, was my favorite solely for the name. The Courtly Coral Dazzleglass is, and always was, the most impractical lip gloss of all time. It is so sticky, you feel like ur chatting with crunchy peanut butter on your lips. You are hyperaware of the massive amounts of glitter encircling your mouth, taunting ingestion. It's a look though.

ANYWAYS... this story goes deeper.

Notice the fancy, cameo-adorned box that these glosses are packaged in. I was so in love with the packaging that I got deeply attached to an inanimate object. Not unusual for me. There's some quote I know from Tumblr that seems fitting to include here:

In "England Have My Bones," White wrote one of the saddest sentences I have ever read: ‘Falling in love is a desolating experience, but not when it is with a countryside.’ He could not imagine a human love returned. He had to displace his desires onto the landscape, that great, blank green field that cannot love you back, but cannot hurt you either.

Helen Macdonald, H is for Hawk

The Box has stayed in my life for nearly 10 years. Yep, I still have it! I call it my Secret Box. I wrote "Keep Out!" on it with a bunch of hearts. Within it lies....top secret stuff! Why would I expose myself?

Ta Ta For Now,

Sara