Why You Need Lipstick

I like to think I’m a fairly low-maintenance broad. I don’t fuss with my hair much. I keep my fingernails short. Don’t wear a lot of make-up, and ergo, don’t buy a lot of make-up. But recently I had my hair colored and determined I needed a new complementary lip pencil and lipstick.  I was out prowling the mall with a pal, and she suggested I have my make-up done at one of the cosmetics counters. What the heck. I felt stuck in a rut with my usual lipstick shade, and needed a little objective advice.

Nearly an hour later, I left the chair with my credit card toasty warm and a small bag containing blusher, 4-shade (limited edition!) eye shadow compact, lipstick, lip pencil and a bottle of $75 “serum” that’s supposed to not only minimize my sun damage and fine lines but make me look smarter and taller too. Of course, I DIDN’T buy the powder, foundation, brow pencil, lip conditioner, brush assortment, lip gloss, eyeliner, moisturizer, cleanser, toner, nail color, brain scrub, pancreas toner, paint stripper or fan belt.

In any case, while I was sitting in that make-up chair, being fussed over by the exotically-accented saleslady, I thought to myself, no WONDER celebrities look stunning. They have someone do this for them every day!

With my new face on, we went out to dinner, and I have to say, I felt pretty damn gorgeous, in a Kabuki-dancer-sort-of way.  When I got home that evening, I paraded my new face in front of my sweetie and then went upstairs and washed it all off.

But the next day, I vowed to make my little routine of cleansing, moisturizing, sandblasting and deforestation my “beauty ritual” and to reverently apply my new magic potions regularly. So far, so good.

I have to say, it does make me feel kind of special when I give myself the special treatment. And when I walk outside with my limited edition eye shadow and non-feathering lip pencil, I am quite certain I’m radiant. My whole attitude is different. I probably even walk differently.

I know all of those feelings are coming from within, and have nothing to do with the $230 worth of plastic packaging, marketing and all natural ingredients sitting in my bathroom drawer, but making the effort with all that stuff somehow reinforces my feelings.

So gals, here’s my point for the week. If you treat yourself special, you will feel special. If you treat yourself like a beauty queen, you will feel like a beauty queen. If lighting a candle while you’re taking a bath makes that bath feel like a luxury treatment, light the gosh darn candle. Find the little things you can do to treat yourself special EVERY SINGLE DAY.  It works like magic.