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. 

Cruelty Free.

My new housemate said to me the night before last “Oh, I don’t really pay attention to things like that. I can’t be bothered…” - sadly, she was talking about Animal Testing. 

When I began to list the numbers of animals that are killed and grossly mistreated for the cosmetics industry alone, she said “But I don’t care about mice or rats - kill them.”

How do I explain to her, without coming across preachy, that she is completely and utterly, without a shadow of a doubt, wrong?
I will be completely honest and say that not all of the cosmetics and things in my life are considered animal friendly, but I buy responsibly and ethically where I can and if I know of an animal friendly alternative to something I currently use I will most definitely give that option a try first. 

Working at Lush, one of the things that I hear the most is “Do you really fight animal testing?’/ “Are all your products really animal friendly?” The Queen of Sarcasm inside me is dying to give them the most direct stare and say “No, we don’t. We just thought it would be a good thing to print on the side of our bags and throw into the marketing mix…” purely for the reaction. 

It’s so easy to do a little research and figure out who does what in the world of animal testing now, it seems lazy and arrogant not to do so. Seeing as I’m sure not everyone is as in the loop as they should be, here’s a couple of websites to get you going. All you have to do is click the links below, it’s not that tricky;
The Vegetarian Site.

The Cruelty Free Kitty.
Superdrug: Cruelty Free Cosmetics

Any item or product that sports this leaping bunny logo is approved as Cruelty-Free which is what you’re looking for whilst browsing the aisles at your local supermarkets.
Whilst most brands who are Cruelty-Free are fairly outspoken about it (Lush for example), the brands who aren’t are  a little more shady about it. The Body Shop for example, have always been outwardly cruelty-free and proud, but then they were bought by L’Oreal who are anything but cruelty free, so what does that mean for The Body Shop’s animal friendly ethics? 

It’s sad that animal testing, especially in the cosmetics world, is swept under the carpet so often. I would have much more respect for a company if they openly said “Yes, we do currently test on animals, but we are collaborating with X and channelling £Y into finding ways to make the entirety of our brand cruelty free.” If companies like Lush, Illamasqua, Aesop and Barry M can go about their day to day business without torturing and killing/maiming animals why can’t everyone? Here’s looking at you; MAC Cosmetics, Sephora, Benefit, Clinique, YSL, Dior… the list goes on. 

Through my own research, it would seem that quite a lot of cruelty-free cosmetics are a lot cheaper than drugstore, let alone high-end, make up brands. Why spend £20 on a lipstick that’s been tested on rabbits and has God knows what thrown into the ingredients, when you can spend a lot less and make a more moral, ethical choice with your cosmetics?

If you’re like me and you believe that you’re animal friendly wherever you can be, you’ll be glad to hear that my housemate, after visiting me at work (Lush Southampton) declared “I think I’ll use up all the stuff I have at home, and then just buy this stuff next time…” So whether I managed to change her mind on the policies regarding animal testing, or whether she just fell in love with Lush like so many have, I’m not complaining. 

If you’re still not convinced that you should be on the look out for that little leaping bunny (not only are you an asshole) but here’s some information for you to mull over next time you’re pursuing your local beauty counter… 

I’m not asking you to be perfect, because god knows I’m not, but I am asking you to be considerate.

The Murder of Sophie Lancaster (The S.O.P.H.I.E Foundation)

With a story of such magnitude, it’s best to start with the facts, I think.
Sophie Lancaster was attacked and killed in the UK, 2007. You might have seen her story on the news or floating around the internet. She was with her boyfriend Robert Maltby, when the two were attacked by a number of young males whilst they were walking through Stubbeylee Park in Rossendale, Lancashire.

Sophie and Robert both suffered severe head injuries sustained by their attackers stamping on their heads. Sophie is said to have cradled Robert Maltby while the men beat her and ‘jumped up and down on her head’. Police said that both Sophie and Robert had been so brutally attacked that when they arrived on the scene, Police could not tell who was male and who was female. Robert Maltby fell into a lengthy coma and eventually woke up with lasting brain damage. Sophie, however, fell into a coma which unfortunately she never woke up from. On 24th August, 2007 Sophie Lancaster’s family agreed to turn off the life support after hospital staff and medical professionals agreed that she would never regain consciousness.

What was the reason behind the attack? Sophie & Robert were ‘moshers’; Sophie and her boyfriend dressed alternatively which caused five young men to take it upon themselves to attack the two.
The attackers celebrated their crime after, telling their friends they had done something to rid the world of an abomination by “doing something good.” They told their friends; “there’s two moshers up Bacup Park – you wanna see them – they’re a right mess.” Thankfully, there were two teenagers who were also in the park and they stayed with Sophie and Robert after calling an ambulance and attempted to tend to the wounds. Sadly, it wasn’t good enough to repair the damage that had been caused. Brendan Harris, The Hulme Brothers; Joseph and Danny, Daniel Mallett and Ryan Herbert were all charged with Sophie Lancaster’s murder and in 2008 they all appealed their sentences. Due to his honesty, being that Ryan Herbert’s was the sole ‘guilty’ plea, his was the only appeal granted. His minimum sentence was reduced from sixteen years and three months to fifteen years and six months.

Still, after the darkness there is light. Sophie Lancaster’s Mother Sylvia founded The S.O.P.H.I.E Lancaster Foundation which stands for; Stamping Out Prejudice Hate & Intolerance Everywhere.

“Since her death in August 2007, following the horrific attack on her and her partner Rob in Stubbeylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire, we have had lots of kind offers of support and donations. Sophie and Rob dressed in their own unique way, expressing their individuality as creative artistic people. After consulting friends and family, we felt a charity should be set up in Sophie’s name. The charity known as the Sophie Lancaster Foundation will focus on creating respect for and understanding subcultures in our communities.” – Sylvia Lancaster.

It saddens me to know that I didn’t learn of Sophie’s story until this year when I saw a S.O.P.H.I.E wristband on a co-worker and asked what it was in aid of. Illamasqua is a high-end make up brand specialising in ‘make up for your alter ego’ which makes the S.O.P.H.I.E cause a perfect beneficiary for their fundraising; Illamasqua have designed four items which bear the S.O.P.H.I.E logo – the Sophie Smoky Eye Set (£50), the Medium Pencil in S.O.P.H.I.E (£5.20), Powder Blush in S.O.P.H.I.E (£21.50) and the Eye Colour Pencil in S.O.P.H.I.E (£15.00). £3.00 of every Illamasqua with Sophie product bought goes to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation and online there’s the option to simply paypal a donation of a pound from the Illamasqua website to the Foundation. Illamasqua sell the S.O.P.H.I.E wristbands as does the original Sophie Lancaster Foundation store, which you can find here.
 It’s not just Illamasqua that has taken a role in raising awareness and funds for the cause; The ‘Sophie Award’ is given at the Bacup Film Festival for innovative and experimental film making. In January of 2009, Bloodstock Open Air Concert renamed the second stage ‘The Sophie Lancaster Stage’ and in June 2014 came the biggest honour of all – Sophie’s mother, Sylvia Lancaster was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for community cohesion, especially in the reduction of hate crime.

 I’m completely shocked that something of such aggressive nature happened to a couple who were being nothing but themselves. It makes me sad that there are people out there who can’t understand that differentiation between people is good, and individual and unique. Causes like this, don’t make me want to fall in line, they make me want to be more alternative if anything. However, I am glad that the alternative sub-culture, has risen to support one of their own. I’m not too sure how I feel about the term ‘sub-culture’ – I feel like it makes people who dress more alternatively than others sound like something in a petri dish? Anyway...

 After rambling a lot, the point of this post was to raise awareness and to express my shock that the attack even happened in the first place.
If you want to learn more about The S.O.P.H.I.E Foundation, you can follow them online here:
 Hopefully they wont mind that I've borrowed a picture from the Illamasqua website.
Sophie_Charity (Twitter)
Sophie Lancaster Foundation. (Official Website)