I love wearing lipstick.
Did you know that the ancient Sumerians, where possibly the first to invent lipstick, the used to crush gemstones and use then to decorate their faces. Egyptians like Cleopatra crushed bugs (Carine) to create a colour of red on the lips.
In the 16th -century, during the time of Queen Elizabeth, it was fashionable to have white faces and bright red lips make of beeswax and red stains from plants. It was only the upper-class woman and male actors wore make-up in those times.
At the end of the 19th century, Guerlain, a French cosmetic company began to manufacture lipstick.
The first commercial lipstick had been invented by 1884, by perfumers in Paris. It was wrapped in beautiful silk paper. By the early 1900 it was fashionable to wear lipstick as it is today.
Woman like Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder started selling lipstick in their salons. In 1912 thousands of supporters in the suffrage movement marched past Elizabeth Arden salon, she supported the cause by handing out red lipsticks to the marching woman, how fabulous was that.
The bold red was a symbol of rebellion and liberation!
Until red lips were popularised in the early 20th century, red lips were a sign being amoral and not something you wanted to be seen wearing but during World War II, wearing red lipstick was classed as an act of defiance against Hitler who was reported to hate hated red lipstick.
There is also something called the “lipstick effect “that hints that when we are faced with economic crisis people are still willing to buy less costly luxury goods like lipstick instead of buying expensive bags etc. Leonard Lauder coined the term, when he announced that despite the economic recession, lipstick sales skyrocketed in 2001.
I think it has a feel-good factor to it to, it makes you feel pretty and more confident which is very powerful tool.
As you get older and peri menopause starts kicking in, a touch of your favourite lipstick can help you get through a tough day, it not going to solve all your problems but when you look in the mirror, you look brighter and that makes you feel more ready to take on the day, we all need a little helping hand now and then.
Coco Chanel said, “If you are sad, add more lipstick and attack.”
Try to find a colour to match your undertone in your skin so you don’t look washed out or too ruddy.
If you have a cooler undertone, try lipsticks with purple, blue and silver bases, they will look amazing. If you have warmer tones, then orange/reds or rusty tones will make you pop.
But to be honest if you like a colour then go for it! it washes off and it is all about you feeling good. I have spent many years helping woman to look and feel their best, it always saddened my heart when I had a client and she really love my bold lips but didn’t feel confident to wear it herself.
I have heard all the excuses, I am too old, I am too pale, I will look like a clown, normally after all the excuses and by the end of the make-up, and we had chatted through her fears, mostly it was just a fear of what others thought!
After listening their concerns and encouraging them to just feel the fear and wear it anyway, they would look in the mirror and smile, and that smile was the best part of my job. To see a spark of confidence blossoming in a woman makes my heart happy.
There is no easy way and there’s no secret sauce to confidence. It all about putting systems in place like journaling, understanding your thoughts but not allowing your thoughts to control you, and to just go for it. If you make a mistake, you learn and grow.
Remember without the so-called failures or mistakes you wouldn’t be the person you are today!!!!!!!
Think about that for a few minutes!
Give a woman the right lipstick and she can conquer the world! rant over….
Always use a lip liner to define your lips as it will give structure to the lips.
I must own over a hundred lipsticks; I love matching the colours to my outfits or my mood. I just adore pink, but I do love a bold red!
My top two brands are mac, Estee Lauder. Top 2 lip liners are Mac, Urban decay, still on the hunt for fantastic lipstick and liners, so I am always open to suggestions!!!
My number one lipstick colour is Mac, Pink Nouveau, I always keep a spare. It is a beautiful cream satin formula, it has a soft cushiony feel and gives good coverage with a long-lasting finish, will suit most skin tones. I pair it with Soar for more of a contrast or rosy rim to blend.
2nd Powerful by Estee Lauder, lovely creamy texture with medium to full coverage. I pair it with Urban decay 24/7 vegan liner in Anarchy, which is a bit brighter than the lipstick, but I love the contrast.
My top red at the moment is Mac Lady Danger-Creamy, full coverage matte finish and Estee Lauders Boldface, it’s a medium to full crème finish.
Remember to exfoliate your lips and keep them hydrated, I always use my serum and eye cream around my lips and massage with my rose quartz roller. Then use lip liner to define my lips, dab the lipstick instead of swiping, blot with a tissue, reapply.
I like to add a little power to my lips to seal the deal.
I would love to hear your thoughts, come and say hi on Instagram or drop me a comment.
Lipstick has its own holiday. National Lipstick Day is the 29th of July.
Have a happy lipstick day!
Glow beauty Glow.
Sending Love & Support
Helena
XxX
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