“Live your eyeliner, breathe your lipstick."
I have no idea what that means but if Lady Gaga said it, it must be on fleek!
I was riding on a bus in Paris, looking over my shoulder for one last glimpse at Les Invalides when I caught sight of a woman peddling a bike in the middle of the street. She was wearing a leopard coat and bright fuchsia lipstick slashed across her lips, so bright that I’ve never forgotten that image.
A month ago, I was returning a very boring lipstick at the Nars store and out of the blue, that Parisian image popped into my mind. It dawned on me that it might be Nars Schiap and I decided to buy it. I asked the sales associate if he knew the story behind the color and the name. He had absolutely no idea. Age and experience paid off and I shared with him the fanciful story about how Schiaparelli Pink came to be. Elsa Sciaparellii had a couture house in Paris. She designed clothes for people such as Garbo, the Duchess of Windsor and Katherine Hepburn. She also became associated with a particular bright shade that came to be known as “Schiaparelli pink. She said that the color came from a Cartier diamond owned by her friend, Daisy Fellowes and used it on the packaging of her first fragrance.
"To me, lipstick is the best cosmetic that exists.”
~ Joan Collins
I wasn’t allowed to wear lipstick until the 9th grade. We had a dress code…full slips every day, socks worn with shoes and no makeup! Do you believe that? I was Girls’ League President, so of course I had to set a stellar example. My first lipstick? Revlon’s Persian Melon. I can’t believe I remember that name.
That’s me in the 9th grade in Junior High School. Um, that was my boyfriend.
I’m always on the lookout for a lipstick that will give me a boost and make all the difference in the world. Magically transform me into…what? I don’t even know. I’m still searching for that illusive perfect lipstick color to make my day. I’m 78, you’d think I’d have found it by now. Right?
"There are endless ways to enhance beauty. You never know when you will find your perfect lipstick unless you keep experimenting.”
~ Pat McGrath
Let’s take a minute to also talk about lip care. I wouldn’t dream of going to bed with out putting Eau Termale Avene cold cream on my lips. Oops, they have now chanIged the name of their cold cream. It’s new name is Ccicalfate a Restorative lip cream. It’s a soft unguent cream that I bought after reading rave reviews on Amazon. I also use their Avene cold cream Lip Balm.
My favorite lip balms. Avéne Cold Cream lip cream and Avéne Cold Cream lip Balm. I also like Fresh Lip Therapy with SPF and Fresh Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment.
After using these products for a few weeks, I was surprised to discover they had actually plumped up the lines in my lips. Who knew that as you aged you’d get lines in your lips? So now I cannot be with out it. I’m not saying my lips look like Angelina Jolie or anyone 20 years younger than I am, but they certainly look…well, better. I also use Fresh Lip Balm not only for the way it feels but also because it has an SPF of 20. I’ll take SPF anyway I can get it.
“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin.
That, or a kick-ass lipstick.”
~ Gwyneth Paltrow
One day I was at Sephora with my granddaughter looking for a special color lipstick to wear to her graduation from Junior High School. I spied a Dior in a gorgeous color.. I put it on and whoa, it felt so soft, moist and colorful. Almost as though it loved my lips. It was like a pillow for my lips. Well, that started my Dior lipstick love affair. Moist, plump, gorgeous color — perfect for an older woman.
"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.”
~ Elizabeth Taylor
Our son recently got married. Of course immediately after he announced his pending marriage, my first thought was “What will I wear?” That’s a whole blog unto itself. But once I decided on my outfit,(Bryn Walker by the way) I knew I needed a new lipstick for this wonderful wedding. I took a photo of the jacket I decided to wear to the Dior counter at Nordstrom’s in Century City. I was fortunate to get a creative sales associate who found two perfect colors, Anitica and Bal. I wear Bal almost everyday, and the other bright one I save for weddings, evenings or when I ride a bike down the middle of the street wearing a leopard coat.
Here I am with our son, Matthew. My outfit is by Bryn Walker, lipstick and blush by Dior in the color Actrice #028
"Red lipstick is instant glamour.”
~ Charlotte Tilbury
My favorite lipsticks. Dior #208 Bal, Saint Germain #414, Actrice #028, Chanel Legende #428
A Few Lip Tips
Pencil lipliner all over your lips so that when your lipstick fades there is still color to be seen.
Enjoy the pleasure of taking a compact out of your purse and elegantly putting on lipstick.
Ask a friend what they think of your lipstick color?
Wear a bold color lipstick with dark glasses. Now press two fingers on your lips, then gently tap them on your cheeks and you have matching blush and lipstick. You’ll look younger and brighter for the day. Now you have matching lips and cheeks for the same cost. I got this tip from @whatkatefinds—- a very clever lady I follow on Instagram.
Do you have cool or warm tones in your face? I have lots of pink which makes me a cool-toned person so I can wear blue-toned reds. But then again I can also wear corals. So experiment and be flexible. If it looks good, wear it.
Your lipstick bleeds? Do what The Vintage Contessa does. She swears by Bobbie Brown Art Lip pencils. They don’t bleed.
I tried a lip primer but would always forget to wear it. So buy one if you’re sure you’ll wear it. I used KissKiss by Guerlain, supposedly the best.
Why do I buy all my lipsticks at department stores? When I go to Target, Ulta and CVS, I am overwhelmed with choices and I can’t try them on. Matte, shiny, satin, long lasting, sheer, or????? I have enough problems choosing my toothpaste let alone a color of lipstick.
You might be intimated about wearing red lipstick? Check out this video from Revlon and Redbook.
Going to exercise? Should you wear lipstick? Well, I read in Brenda Kinsel’s blog that she never leaves the house without lipstick. So this morning when I went walking, I put on lipstick, tinted SPF and eyebrows. You never know who might invite you in for a cup of coffee. Thanks, Brenda.
Women are always asking each other what cosmetic they’d take to a desert island? My choice? Lipstick, lipstick, lipstick. And SPF of course.
How about you? There you are, all alone on a desert island. Bikini, flip-flops and what? Do you have any lipstick stories?
Now, to double your fun. Click on over to Cindy Hattersley blog. She came up with the delightful idea for us “women over 50” to write about our lives with lipstick.
Also can’t wait to read what Mary Ann Pickett has to say about lipstick and the ladies. She’s another talented decorator, blogger, cook and all around talented woman.
If you’d like to read more about my thoughts, ideas, and life with lipstick, please read my blog I’ll Wear Red Lipstick.
