I Tried It: Wearing a Bold, Red Lip All Day
And maybe this is who I am now.
Last week, I decided to embrace my inner Rita Hayworth and wear a bold red lip all day long.
I LOVE the idea of wearing a bold lipstick. It’s instant glam and style. It’s a sartorial rocket booster. And yet…
The minute I’m out in the world, the rumination starts.
Do I look stupid?
Did I get some on my teeth?
Is it smeared all over my chin?
A regular lipstick rubs off so quickly. The long-lasting stuff feels… weird. Sometimes too dry, other times too tacky. And eventually, it either crumbles off or leaves you with the Pam Anderson lip liner look, but not in a cute Pam Anderson way.
I always end up wiping it off, wondering how on earth other people make wearing lipstick seem so effortless. I also wonder if this is a thing a lot of other people feel, or is it my anxiety disorder? It’s hard to tell.
Recently,
reminded me of Maybelline’s Superstay Matte Ink in the Hey Eleanor comments. I decided to really, truly commit to wearing this stuff for a full day, no matter what was on the calendar.
The gist on the lipstick:
It’s highly pigmented, stays put for a loooong time, and costs about $10 from your local drugstore/Target. I first learned of this stuff from lipstick aficionado
(I believe her red of choice is Pioneer). I’ve worn it for a few events, and I LOVE how it looks… but something about the matte texture makes me feel almost claustrophobic? Like the lipstick version of wearing pants a half a size too small.On this day, I committed to pushing through the discomfort, praying I’d achieve long-lasting lipstick nirvana.
My lipstick journey:
8:30am: Apply the lipstick
Before walking my daughter to school, I applied the lipstick, trying sooooo hard to keep clean lines around my lips. I am the LEAST careful person, and even when I try to do things in a non-sloppy way, I often fail (see: the ceiling and trim in every room I’ve ever painted). After applying, I checked my work in the mirror and realized some of the pigment looked as though a child did the work. I tried to clean up the lines before it set.
9am: Take a long walk
To me, a red lip just does not go with workout clothes (no shade to all you folks who wear makeup to the gym… but a little shade though). And yet, here I was, walking to school with my daughter in that exact combo. I saw my neighbor Sarah coming toward us, and I immediately felt self-conscious. As she approached, we both said hi, and nothing else happened.
After dropping off my daughter, I walked to the lake and trekked about three miles, listening to an audiobook. Paired with the humidity, my lips kept sticking together. I did not like it, but eventually I sort of forgot about it.
10am: Getting ready for the day
After my walk, I changed into real clothes. I also added makeup (my routine is pretty simple: Ilia tinted Super Serum, mascara, and Jones Road Miracle Balm in Flushed). Wearing a read lip without any other makeup kind of feels like wearing high heels with a sweatsuit, which is probably in style now.
I sent a Marco Polo message to my group thread and got many favorable comments about my red lip. One friend said I looked very chic and requested a link to the lipstick, which she bought (in a more subtle shade) and wore to a party that very night.
2pm: Running errands/Grocery shopping
I took the day mostly off work to tackle my to-do list. First Target, thenTrader Joe’s. After heroically parking in their [purposefully?] chaotic lot, I checked my lipstick. It looked mostly okay (four hours later!), but a little ragged around the inside of my lips. I dug through my purse to reapply, and realized I LEFT THE TUBE AT HOME.
Did I look like one of those old biddies who might line her purse with dinner rolls at the local supper club? Just in case, I kept the smiles to a minimum, which we all know made the TJ employees uncomfortable. Forget Disneyland, Trader Joe’s is the happiest place on earth according to the people who work there.
3:30pm: Reapplication
A full five(!) hours after my first application, I reapplied the lipstick at home before driving to school pickup. I worried my fellow parents might ask Wow, going somewhere special tonight? or You look really put together for once, I barely recognized you!
But no one said anything.
5pm: Family Dinner
Part of the reason I picked this day as my red lip day? Thursday night dinner. My extended family has gathered on Thursday nights for decades (used to be every week in the 80s-90s, but now maybe every other month). My dad is one of 12 brothers (yes, you read that correctly) and zero sisters, and where there are uncles, there is always teasing. I thought if anyone might make me feel stupid for wearing a bold, red lip, it would be one of these guys.
Again, no one said a thing. Side note: I think the red lip with this shirt is just the Frenchiest combo.
9:30pm Bedtime
I used an oil-based makeup remover to take off the lipstick, which still looked great many hours after applying.
The Verdict:
Generally, I like how the lipstick looked until it started wearing off, which took many hours. The texture was a little distracting, but I got used to it over time. I did try applying chapstick late morning to help with the texture, and I think that may be why it started rubbing off mid-day. It did make me feel a little more put-together than normal, which I enjoyed.
It’s worth noting that, while I spent the day low-key anxious about my appearance, no one seemed to give a shit/notice. Because no one is thinking about what you look like more than yourself.
The next day, I decided to try the same lipstick in a different color (which I already owned). It’s called Inspirer, and I think because it’s just a bit more pink than my natural color, I devoted less mental energy worrying about what it might look like.
Initially, it felt a little sticky, but eventually felt okay. That evening at bedtime, I noticed my lips still looked pretty good! I’ve worn the Inspirer shade most days since my red lip trial and I’m loving it.
I’ll save the red for special occasions, but the pink might be in regular rotation.
Maybe this is my new personality.
PS Have any lipstick tips/tricks? Share with the rest of us!
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Thanks for joining me on my happy (mostly) little corner of the internet.
XO, molly
Bravo to you! You look fantastic & I might need to try it too. I always feel like I’m playing dress-up when I wear lipstick during the day but when I see it on others my only thought is “that looks great!”
I'm all about the gloss! Clinique has a Black Honey gloss that I liked, and I'm going to try Honest Beauty or ELF next.