Like many other pink-loving girls, I found make-up to be a startlingly, yet fascinating revelation, with an instant desire to explore its world seemingly planets away from my own. Lipstick, in particular, generated more interest and buzz than a tantrum-inducing Justin Bieber concert at the o2 arena because it reminded me so heavily of my mum, who, unsurprisingly, applies a creamy layer of her favourite buff-shaded lipstick every single day - in fact, my one year old self must have loved the sight of eye-watering expensive lipsticks so much that my chubby fingers was unable to fight the temptation to draw the stick upon my Twilight-pale skin and the delicate cream walls, previously free of any cough-provoking dust and heart-dropping stains, embarking on my very first experience with the cosmetic as I now know it today. I still think about my short-lived adventure every now and then - with moment-long flashbacks occasionally popping through my thoughts usually surrounding Audrey Hepburn's dainty black dresses by none other than Givenchy, powerfully felt jealousy turning my mineral-coated complexion garden lawn-green with envy - because it opened up a life-long relationship with the cosmetics and, indeed, eye-popping magenta lipsticks which neatly adorn my heavier-than-it-looks make-up box, solely dedicated to the miracle products which transform my blemished face into an astonishing look of natural elegance within a flick of foundation-coated kabuki brush.
Although I've already discussed my frankly-detailed love affair with mineral foundation and the numerous ways that it has revolutionized my make-up routine for hopefully many years to come, one item - or several, if various colours of the cosmetics rainbow count - has relentlessly served me well, offering me the confidence to figure out the brain-straining Sudoku puzzle inside the newspaper each day and staining my ashamedly bubble gum pink Hello Kitty when I take a sip of colder-than-ice milk at each meal. Without it, my wings - which have fallen in love with the spectacular gift otherwise known as freedom - seem to have been clipped and hidden away inside a locked metal box, its key thrown away into the unknown: this is one of the many perils from which I'm bound to suffer if a mighty red pimple dares to rise to the surface on my greatest asset, the buxom-shaped lips. Yes, lipstick is the all-time favourite cosmetic product which I couldn't bear to live without for a single day; just like sneakily melting a few squares of dark chocolate almost every evening, applying a thicker-than-necessary layer of velvety smooth, moisturizing lipstick prepares me for the long day ahead, where difficult French verbs and cowering kittens with a hiss more venomous than a rattlesnake await me.
And so, as the words are lying on the edge of your tea-coated tongue, why does my heart flutter at the sight of a lipstick counter in an overcrowded beauty shop, my knees daring to fall beneath my two-inch heels? Somehow, part of myself cannot reach the very core of myself and offer a fully-developed answer, despite having almost an hour to go until the clock strikes the signal for cupboard-opening lunchtime: all of these wonderful colours, ranging from frosty pale pinks to scarlet siren reds to deliciously gothic plums, draw me into a fantasy which I can play out, if I'm willing to fork out nearly a month's worth of pocket money for an all-time classic Chanel lipstick. Perhaps my much-envied youth (I seriously don't need any reminders about that one!) is a reason for which I dream of donning the latest trends in the fast-paced beauty industry because hardly any shades - even the widely avoided ones, which would provoke an wild evacuation from the popular MAC counters - give me any fear-inducing goosebumps, which displays a certain amount of courage as to which colours that I would be willing to try. As long as the ingredients are very unlikely to cause an unwanted reaction against my combination/sensitive skin (face it, everybody has sensitive skin to a certain extent - why be afraid of declaring it?) and the price tag doesn't make my eyes water uncontrollably, there are no barriers in front of me which cannot be broken.
Some people get their thrills from donning the newest collection of Jimmy Choo stilettos; others receive their uncontained bout of excitement by spending a whole day in a Dior changing room; and I, on the other hand, would be sent to heaven and back if I were to try on literally all of the most luxurious lipsticks which the world has to offer, though it must be said that only the widely renowned and critically acclaimed brands are worthy of residing in my make-up box. Sure, I may be young and prone to purchasing short-lived shirts from New Look on a heart-stopping whim, but would I take a leap of faith with a product which could or could not wreck my wild-hearted record of high scores on long-lasting, pleasantly silky lipsticks? Although I typically remain loyal to high street brands, many of whom run countless ad campaigns which hardly anybody would be able to avoid on either TV or a popular magazine, I always keep my savvy-hat on when it comes to searching out the good and, rather unfortunately, the bad brands from which I'm desperate to stay away at all costs.
A few days ago, I stepped out of my cosy-decorated, warm-as-baked-mince-pies comfort zone by splashing out a few more pounds than usual for 'the lipstick of my dreams', as I so happened to coin it - a perfect nude pink. Typically, my heart leaps at the sight of a dark, goth-inspired lipstick which adds a certain punky edge to my minimalist attire, to my parents' frown - unknown to myself, the colours which I picked out in a five-minute dash had a tendency to drain my face of what little colour I had, taking my Casper-pale complexion into consideration.
Originally starting off as a joke surrounding the then-popularity of the Twilight films (and my penchant for reading the attention-boring books within the space of a warm summer), I stopped making a forced effort to go out into the sun during the hottest hours of the day, which later led to my skin turning a fairer colour. Despite my eventual realization that a nightmare would have to occur if my marble-shaded skin suddenly looked like the contents of a fake tan bottle, I just couldn't get as much colour as I liked - and instead of resorting to applying nasty chemicals onto my reaction-prone skin, I embraced my lighter tone and glowed in spite of the startlingly fact that I looked more like Buffy Summers' blood-sucking enemy than an olive-toned Californian babe.
Which, therefore, led to my continuous problems surrounding an impossible discovery of a more muted lipstick suited to my skin colour, which I yearned to be a basic nude with a hint of pink. But what turned out to be the most ideal nude for somebody usually highlighted the stark contrast between the colour and my complexion, banishing all previous hopes of coming across my long-wanted nude. In all honesty, I wanted and needed a nude for various reasons, not purely to keep clear from any ghost-related remarks: I needed it to manage an easy-going look with darker eyeliner, which seriously does not associate you with Hollywood glamour if paired with an equally noticeable lipstick, and I also wanted to make-under my look ever so subtly, as many examples had been given in popular fashion know-how magazines and books.
After many weeks filled heavily with frustrations and near tosses of boldly-shaded lipsticks - needless to say, the complete opposite of what I'd been searching for - I eventually came across the nude which has dramatically changed my make-up routine within a mere few days of being bought. Produced by applauded beauty giant Maybelline New York, the colour, aptly titled 'Sweet Pink', is the perfect addition to my overwhelming collection of lipsticks, many of which have been purchased in recent months alone: whenever I brush my hair or look in the lightly dusted mirror (I cannot complain about the dust lying on the mirror if it disguises my sore-looking outbreak of spots so brilliantly!), I usually have a double take because it's quite hard to tell whether I am wearing any lipstick or not. So, the quest has finally been completed and my baby-smooth lips look miles better for adopting a softer, more elegant style, which makes a brilliant match when teamed with a pair of smoking hot eyes!
Saying all of this has only made me realize how much I love wearing and putting on lipstick as part of my daily routine; for all I care, I may as well have skipped my usual Braeburn apple because I just wouldn't feel entirely the same without a glimpse of colour twinkling in the sunshine. From nude pinks to deep berries, almost all lipsticks - except the mud-like brown - gain a thumbs up from me and derives such a vivid passion within myself, which is pretty hard to discover as the clock counts toward the impending Doritos time.
You definitely won't have to think twice about what I'm wearing tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment