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Sweetkelleys
August 18, 2006

Lipstick Love Affair

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Journaling:
Ah yes, my love of makeup – I come by it honestly. From birth onward I was surrounded by women who cared about their appearance and were firm believers that there was no such thing as natural beauty. Hee hee, well, not really, but they certainly believed in the power of cosmetic enhancement. Some of my earliest memories are of visiting my Grandma Cordy at her Merle Norman Studio/ beauty parlor here in Pueblo. I always looked forward to it because she would let me pick out a lipstick sample from among the dozens of shades for sale. I would open it reverently and apply it slowly with my finger, admiring my newly matured and vixenish appearance in her wall-length mirror. Who was that girl staring back at me? How could a bit of color on the lips change so much about my appearance? It was a mystery I was determined to solve. I’m sure my mother and grandmother, in their own devotion to beautification, thought it was harmless enough, allowing me to entertain myself that way. Little did they know they were passing along the seeds of a lifelong obsession, a love affair with little tubes of colored wax.

Years of lipstick collection followed, and a few months ago I decided it was time to clean out the overflowing drawer I had been using for their storage. It should have been a simple enough task, throwing out what was expired, getting rid of shades that no longer have a place in my highly practical, streamlined lifestyle. What I discovered, however, was that I could trace a personal history of sorts right there, in the varied hues that mingled together. They spoke of times and places and loves and happiness that I hadn’t thought of in a long, long time. Here was some of the bright, sparkly pink Maybelline (shade unknown) that I so adored in high school. Later, when I started modeling the wide world of makeup beyond the drugstore opened up and my new favorites came along. MAC Twig, the shade I discovered at the MAC boutique at Henri Bendel’s in New York City and wore every day for years. One of the few shades I actually used up completely. Vamp by Chanel, so de rigeur one year that it was sold out everywhere. My boyfriend at the time, Eli, was sweet enough to track it down at the mall by his house and rode his bike in the rain (I guess his car wasn’t working?) to get it for me. I loved the thought of owning it but it’s so incredibly dark and dramatic I could only wear it out to clubs. The rosewater taste and smell of it still linger in my mind and made me feel very “old money” when I wore it, lol. MAC Siren, a deep purply plum shade that I bought at the MAC store in Cherry Creek Mall and wore to 1082 for Goth night. Josh told me he liked it on me so I wore it out for countless times after that. The very first MAC Viva Glam, created to benefit AIDS victims and the absolute perfect, timeless shade of red. I will keep this one because I still wear it when the occasion is right.

Contemplating the stories that cling to each lipstick I find that it’s almost impossible to throw them away. But I know there isn’t enough room for every physical memento of my past, and I must reluctantly part with the ones I will never use again. Well, except for the Vamp. I guess because it’s so inimitably glamorous, so everything my life is not anymore and I want to continue to have it as a touchstone for reminiscing. The rest, well, I guess they’ll just have to reside in Melissa’s lipstick Hall of Fame. Gone, but not forgotten. Loyal friends who did their best to ensure that I continued the legacy of women in my family who wanted to look their best, who painted their lips, faced the world and created a personal history worth remembering. Or, at least, that’s my version of why I spent hundreds of dollars on little tubes of colored wax. *smile*

Supplies:
Patterned Paper - Scrapworks
Chipboard letters & shapes - Heidi Swapp
Foam Stamps - Making Memories
Ribbon -May Arts, Making Memories
Rik-rak - Wright's
Silk flowers - Bazzill


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