Red lipstick days.

One of the best privileges to being a woman is the freedom to wear red lipstick.  If you don’t own a tube, you need to remedy this immediately.

I don’t want to hear, “I can’t wear red.  It doesn’t look right on me.”

Hogwash.

While you might not be able to wear many shades of red lipstick, every woman can wear at least one shade of red lipstick.

You’ve got blue-red and orange-red.  You’ve got violet-red, heavy red, sheer red, glossy red and matte red.  There are lip stains, lipsticks, lip glosses and – shoot! – even heavy chapsticks.  No excuses, ladies!

Now, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret: I deceive people with my red lips.  When my clients see me coming at them with a big set of red lips, what does that communicate?  She looks all right.  See seems fine.  She’s so confident, so bold.  She’s in control.  Etc.

Again, hogwash.

Not every time, but most of the time when I’m sporting the bold, red lips, it’s because I’m feeling sick, sad, exhausted, depressed, etc.  But those feelings are usually expressed through the eyes.  So what do I do?  I make it hard to look at anything besides my mouth.  It’s the strategy of distraction.  I could try instead to wear more concealer under my eyes, but we all know that the makeup will eventually settle into the eye creases; and that just adds to the depression, right?

Try this little game.  Here’s a picture of me with red lips.  Looks pretty good, right?

Now with your finger or hand, cover my mouth.  Okay, maybe cover the earrings, too.  (Jewelry communicates togetherness and cheerfulness.  I pulled a double whammy yesterday.)

Do you see how when you cover my mouth, my eyes look really glassy and red on the bottom rim?  Magic.  All of Charley’s medical drama was too raw for me to want to be asked about it during work yesterday.  I had spent a long day at the hospital with my family the day before.  And just that morning I committed more time to prayer for Charley and the fam, so I had been crying.  Eyes are all dewy.  Bracing myself for the potential that many people would be asking, “How’s your father?” I decided that it was a red lipstick day.  This was clearly the better alternative to getting snotty on my clients for nine hours.  That’s not good for the hair.

Okay.  Now just because I’ve let you in on my little secret, don’t go scrutinizing my face the next time you see me in red lips.  Sometimes I enjoy wearing it for fun.  (Nice contrast to green eyes, you know.)  It’s just a big mystery, isn’t it?

(PS – Progress and praises on Charley!  While he is diagnosed with an ear infection, sinusitis, double pneumonia and meningitis, he is now coherent and on the right cocktail of drugs.  Continued prayers for his recovery are appreciated!)