Coffee Buzzkill, Or: How to Wear the Nineties Lip Now

Ah, the nineties. What defines the decade? Maybe the biggest thing that comes to mind for me is coffee.  Coffee as in The Real World: Seattle, getting “coffee” (coffee is normally 300 calories and comes with whipped cream, right?) on the weekends because, you know, grown-ups drink coffee and I wasn’t just some kid anymore, Central Perk, and every other coffee shop on the set of every other primetime sitcom. 

Of course, this coffee craze ran into makeup too.  In eighth and ninth grades, pretty much all of my lip colors had names like Mocha Raton and Java the Hut.  But none held a candle to Bonne Bell’s Lip Glam lip gloss in Iced Toffee Coffee.  And every actress on 90210 managed to wear a different brown lip look in almost every episode.  But while the ladies’ lips of 90210 seemed to get matter (read: dryer) the further into college they got, I took to the other side of the spectrum and went glossy and frosty.  Nothing screams “I’m a teenager now, dammit!” like hanging out at the mall with over frosted lips and a Raspberry Mocha Frappuccino in hand.    

If the runways and magazines are to be trusted, the return of brown lipstick is upon us.  And if, like me, the idea of wearing brown lipstick sends mocha-almond-java-chip flavored shivers down your spine, I’ve found your answer (and there isn’t a coffee pun in sight).

Fresh Sugar Honey tinted lip treatment is the best way to get the look while still feeling like you belong in this decade.  Like all of Fresh’s Sugar lip treatments, Honey is moisturizing, reparative, and has SPF 15 UV protection.  It goes on smooth and leaves behind a splash of nude color that has decidedly brown undertones.  It is neither matte nor frosty, but rather gives the lip a slight sheen.  It doesn’t read as full-on lipstick but isn’t exactly sheer.  Honey gives your lips a supple softness while the added color will light up your whole face.  I’m not saying you’ll look as youthful as you did while scouring Claire’s for roll-on body glitter, but you will be on-trend without looking like a misguided teenager.   

 Find it online here: http://www.fresh.com/lip-care/lip-treatment/

Love Raised Me, Lipstick Saved Me

LOVE RAISED ME LIPSTICK SAVED ME might just be one the greatest beauty adages to come out of this century.   The genius behind it is makeup artist Angelique Velez, whose shop Breakups To Makeup gives you access to everything from makeup bags to tank tops stamped with her words of wisdom.   

The brilliance of the phrase lies in the gazillion ways one can interpret it.  For me, it speaks to my love of makeup as the ultimate form of self-acceptance. 

While fashion has a very special place in my heart, makeup is my great love.  Makeup is universally accessible.  As someone who has struggled with weight for the greater part of my life, I learned at a young age that makeup would never tell me I was too big to wear it.  As a teenager, trying on the shades of lipstick in my local Sephora didn’t cause the anxious feelings in the pit of my stomach that inevitably came with dressing rooms.  The trendiest nail colors were always within my reach; I didn’t have to buy one only to hang it on my wall in the weeks leading up to Spring Break but never have the guts to wear it in public, because there is no such thing as a “goal polish.”   And if I did gain or lose weight (as yo-yo dieters do) I wouldn’t have to resign my favorite eye shadow to a “skinny” or “fat” pile. My beauty products were there to offer a means to look my best.  Makeup allowed me to highlight what I liked about myself without focusing on the parts I wasn’t so happy with.   

And when I was in law school, going to special lectures just to get the free crackers and cheese they served after, I could only dream of the expensive clothes I stared endlessly at on my laptop during class.  But no matter what my bank account looked like, I could always manage to budget in a new lipstick or smudge-proof eyeliner from the CVS next to my apartment.  And when I brought home a brand new lipstick or opened a fresh pot of lip balm, I felt happy.  I could indulge in the rush of shopping without feeling guilty. 

No matter my life circumstances, whatever my self-consciousness is grappling with, it will always be the lipstick that saves me in the end.

So the real question is:  Which LOVE RAISED ME LIPSTICK SAVED ME accessory did I buy?  I have a slight obsession with iPhone cases (as you’ll quickly learn as I write more posts) and so I’m waiting for it to come back in stock.  In the meantime, I’ve got a clutch in my cart and am dangerously close to clicking checkout.

Find LOVE RAISED ME LIPSTICK SAVED ME and other Breakups to Makeup products at http://breakupstomakeup.com/