It all started with sticky glosses; a status symbol amongst any teen that smelt like a bag of Haribo - now, one whiff takes me back to wearing a horrid green blazer and being blissfully carefree. My only worries were my naturally frizzy hair and some pre-pubescent boy. And there, my life-long love affair with lipstick was born. Now, at the age of 24, I am the proud owner of over 100 lipsticks (114 at last count) all meticulously organised in a set of clear plastic Muji drawers, split up into their appropriate colour families and textures (OCD, me?).
An army of reds - from sheer to matte and everything in-between - sit in the first drawer, as they are the largest team. But it wasn’t always so.
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The first time I wore red lipstick was my 18th birthday. I suppose the coming of ‘adulthood’ made me feel confident, and I remember wanting to try something new, something to make me standout. And what says ‘adult’ quite like a red lip, reasoned my teenage mind? So off I popped to Boots to buy a pillar-box red. And wore it with a red dress I’d pleaded with a friend to let me borrow, too high heels and my sister’s Fendi bag (I knew better than to ask, so stole it when she was out). And all put together I felt like a proper grown-up (of course I wasn’t).
My University years were devoted to dusty pinky nudes mixed with concealer to give me the foundation-effect lip - it was all the rage in Manchester at the time, trust me. It wasn’t all 50 shades of nude though - I still kept a few reds handy for nights out, along with the occasional bold pink for when I was feeling extra adventurous. But it’s the nudes that hold the fondest memories for this time - ones of tequila shots, and tonnes of missed lectures.
After University I landed an internship at Elle; I was so ecstatic - and bloody nervous. So for my first day I opted for a nice nude, my safety blanket. It was comforting, reliable, let me blend-in and avoid any awkward lipstick-on-teeth moment.
After my first month I started to feel more confident and I built up the courage to pitch a blog called ‘My Week In Lipstick’; the premise was simple - I would try a different bold lipstick each day in the hope to become more adventurous with my choices.
I tried shades that were out of my comfort zone from neon tangerine to a daring oxblood reddish purple. After that particular day I got the train to my boyfriend’s house and spent the duration of the journey deciding whether to take it off or not - I knew he would think near-purple lips were hilarious. I kept it on. And he did laugh, at first, but then he gave me his bedroom eyes. Score. Needless to say, I still have that very one in my lipstick collection. I got a full-time job in the beauty team and was being sent lipsticks on an almost daily basis; I couldn’t believe my luck. During those three years lipstick became my make-up arsenal - I would experiment with any shade that came into my grasp - and so my collection grew and grew.
And as it turns out a red lip has developed become my signature look. Now I wouldn’t go a day without my Bourjois red lippy in my handbag. My 18-year-old self was right - there really is nothing quite like it to make you feel confident and pulled-together and give you a hefty dose of Joie de Vivre, even when you're feeling anything but joyous. So when I started a new job a few weeks ago, I didn’t think twice, I knew the shade I was going to go for. Turns out, I’d known it all long.
Bourjois NEW Rouge Edition Aqua Laque Lipstick, is available in tonnes of reds, pinks and nudes, to suit whatever you’re up to. They’re available from Boots.co.uk, £8.99
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.