Lipstick Courage

We’ve all had days where we wake up feeling a little less than desirable. Sometimes your hair isn’t doing exactly what you want it to, or sometimes you feel that crater of a zit brewing on your chin just to remind you how attractive you truly are - How do you save the day? 

I’m going to let you in to my secret; lipstick. 

I’ve recently discovered my love for MAC Lipstick. I’ve loved MAC for a while now and quite early on in our courtship I bought the MAC Chromacake in Landscape Green (that’s another story) but since that purchase, my forays into the world of MAC have been predominantly lipstick based. 

Ruby Woo came first and I remember exactly when, where and why I bought it. During my last year of University, we had our Great Gatsby themed Summer Ball - I went for a Jordan Baker type flapper girl, sporting mainly black, white and red. Ruby Woo with her super matte, reddish-blue tint worked perfectly for the occasion and the look I was going for. On a trip to London with my boyfriend at the time, I popped into MAC on Foubert’s Place off Carnaby Street and my first, real, grown-up MAC purchase was complete. 

Faux came next, from a slightly more comfortable-to-wear range, Satin by MAC. A mauve-pink toned lipstick that’s ‘my lips but better’. Perfect for those days where I don’t want to wear a lot of make up and I just need a little something-something. Faux gave me the courage to wear less make up whilst at the same time inspiring me to do more of what I want with my aesthetic - I know that sounds silly but this is where my ‘Lipstick Courage’ started.
Putting on this lipstick seals the deal for the day and just makes me feel ‘ready’. It might seem petty to some, but if doing something small like wearing a slick of lipstick makes me feel ready to take on the day, why the hell not… 

A little more daring with my next MAC lipstick, friends Hayley and Nikita chose me Taupe for Christmas. A little darker than Faux with more brown tones, Taupe inspired me to go for darker eye makeup and just generally makes me feel a little more badass. The perfect colour for grungier winter days, long sleeves and messy hair. 

I like the idea of having a lipstick for a particular occasion - like Ruby Woo for The Summer Ball. 

When this year’s Valentine’s Day rolled around, I got a little bit carried away, so it seemed only right to continue on with the theme and choose a lipstick from MAC. Craving, which MAC describes as a burst of plum in their Amplified range, when you first apply is fairly strong and really pigmented; I like that I can choose to wear it like this, or when it’s just dabbed on with a little less precision Craving works really nicely as a hint of pink for a perky pout. My friend Canadian Christine came with me when I picked this one out, and she has one of the opinions that I have learned to always trust; she’s golden that one. 

But now that I’ve wittered on about my favourite lipsticks, I hope that you understand the idea of Lipstick Courage. The idea that, on a day when you’ve been wearing just your sweats and not a scrap of make up, you can put on a little lipstick and suddenly feel a whole lot more comfortable watching The Voice with your boyfriends Mum (who you’ve only just met), even if you don’t look dramatically different. It’s amazing how much something small, like putting on lipstick, can change your attitude and confidence for the better. 

Occasions when it is appropriate to let your Lipstick save the day:

1. You spent too long on your hair, then it rained. 
2. You woke up feeling a little ‘meh’ - no rhyme or reason. 
3. You’ve just remembered that you’re still not Rita Ora. 
4. It’s only Tuesday.
5. You’ve got too much month left at the end of the money.