A Fresh Outlook

When I was in junior high red lipstick was “scarlet gold”. If you got a tube you would use every last smear. We would use it as lipstick, blush, and eye shadow. No wonder people called it war paint. When the tube was finally lost (it would have never been voluntarily thrown away) someone had dug her finger down into the crevice and mined out the last smug.

Today red lipstick still exists but it plays a different role. It is a red-hot topper on a stark white model in a magazine or a stable of a little old lady. Red lipstick is perfect for formal occasions and formal attire. If like me, you are striving for an 8 on a 10- point beauty scale the nude shades are wonderful but be cautious. Use lip liner and choose shades carefully. Nude shades lean toward tan, pink, or orange; they test well on the back of your hand. Look for a glossy effect as oppose to a mat dull finish (they make you look dead).

My technique is; first line lips top and bottom with brown lip liner then I apply the color to my lower lip only, blot and add a little gloss (in the crevice of my lower lip, only), press my lips together and viola!

Lip color is an easy way to update. Shop the clearance shelf were the selection is ample, you can test freely and if you make a mistake the expense is minimal. Remember look for light and natural. The days of heavy black and blackberry are over. Take a tip from the latest celebrity weight loss success story Jennifer Hudson or Valerie Bertinelli and go light. The look says, “I’m new and I have a fresh outlook”.