Change It Up - Bold Lipstick

Lipstick has always freaked me out. Up until this last week, I've always considered it one of those mysterious beauty rituals that works for every other woman besides myself.

I think it all goes back to the first time I tried lipstick, when I was 16. I read in one of the many teen magazines flooding my bedroom that plum lipstick was "in" for fall and that it was universally flattering. So what did I do? I went forth and picked out the cheapest purple lipstick I could find and slathered it all over my face (well, my lips).

Then, when my first boyfriend asked me with a strange look on his teenage face, "What is that you're wearing? It's all over your teeth," I knew it was time to quit lipstick forever. Or so I thought.

Over the years, I tried a few meager attempts, but I always got the same reaction: "You look weird" and "There's red stuff on your teeth."

After all this mortification (is that even a word?), you would think that I would just give it up for good. Not me. I'm a glutton for punishment, as the saying goes. So when I was reading all these adorable style blogs and seeing how adorable everyone looked in their bold lip colors, what do I go out and do? I go forth and pick out the (cheaper) lipstick and slather it all over. (Side note: yes, I realize that I'm probably too easily swayed by what I read. Go easy on me).

So what do you think?

Coral

Red

 (I would like to take this moment to recognize the fact that I was cooking in heels and a skirt with my red lipstick just like a fashionable 50s housewife-wannabe. That's all).

How did the reactions go over this time? Well, the vast majority of people ignored it (which I could take as a good sign or a bad sign). I did, however, get an unexpectedly huge reaction at work when I went in on the first day of classes with my red lipstick all bright and beautiful on my face. The conversation went down something like this:

"Whoa! Red lipstick!"

"You're wearing lipstick!"

"What's the special occasion?"

After completing a task, my boss joked to the only other female working there:

"I'll only let you do that if you're wearing bright, beautiful lip color."

So I still don't know what to think.

But, for the record, I actually really like how it looks. It may be different, but sometimes different is good. Heck, that's the whole reason I started doing these dang Change-It-Ups in the first place.

Feel free to weigh in with your opinions, though.

Change It Up Successful? I'm happy with it. I guess that's the most important. And although Matt doesn't like when I wear lipstick (because then he can't smooch me without getting color all over his face), he does like how it looks (or so he says). So it looks like I might turn out to be a lipstick person after all. Who knew?