The mother of a friend of Francesca always says:
Never leave the house without lipstick and earrings.
These are wise words, by which Francesca lives.
There are few excuses for looking frumpy, especially if one is a Big Girl who wishes to appear as superfantastic on the outside as she is on the inside, but Francesca knows that it does, sometimes, happen. But no matter how frumpy one’s outfit might be, lipstick and earrings always bring one to the next level upward! Instant improvement! And it only takes 2 seconds!
If your eyelashes are blonde, I would add mascara to the list as well.
Francesca’s friend’s mother hath spoken.
Presumably the mother of Francesca’s friend is a lady of A Certain Age. Perhaps she is still blessed with full and youthful lips, but the Annalucia wonders what she would advise for t hose of us whose lips are…well…thinner than they were three decades ago.
The Annalucia loves the dark burgundy lipstick but can no longer wear it because the color contrast is too strong and it makes her look tight-mouthed and grim. So she still clings to her old Jafra “Berry Frost” which adds only a little color and does not call attention to itself. In fact the Annalucia would pay good money for a seminar in Cosmetics for the Middle-Aged: striking the medium between the dull pale bare face and the hideously overdone Aging Trollop. (Do not laugh: the Annalucia has seen the Aging Trollops while riding the #146 bus in Chicago and some of them would make the Francesca’s hair turn plaid.)
Comment by Annalucia — August 9, 2007 @ 9:20 am
Hope you’ll forgive me if I accept the spirit of the advice, but not the letter. I’m just not a lipstick girl–it makes me look a little silly. I have something of the fresh-faced look, and lipstick looks like a mistake on me. I’m also in the university world, which means alternative ways of looking like you care about your dress and appearance can work well. (Good glasses and good shoes can work wonders.) But I, for one, will leave the lipstick at the counter.
Comment by maryb — August 9, 2007 @ 11:46 am
Has the Annalucia tried any of the alleged lip-plumpers, such as the Du-Wop Lip Venom? They are temporary, but some ladies swear by them.
Do you have thinning only, or do you have fine lines as well? My suggestion would be a burgundy stain rather than a matte burgundy lipstick, with gloss on the center of the lips (so it doesn’t creep past the lip line). In point of fact, if you put lip gloss on first, and use your brush to add your burgundy lipstick over the gloss – it will sheer the lipstick out. I would also look for a lighter colour to layer in the center of the lips, upper and lower, over the burgundy, to make them appear fuller.
Comment by La BellaDonna — August 13, 2007 @ 4:34 pm