Exploring the World of Lip Color

Bold lip color has really blown up over the last couple of years.  The problem is, I have very thin lips and my Cupid's Bow area is majorly lacking in shape.  I've been struggling...like forever. 

I was a dancer until college and my mom, teachers, and eventually teammates were always perplexed by my lips.  I had no color in the peaks of my top lip, so if you put in lipstick, it looked ridiculous.  But otherwise my lips were so thin, the lipstick looked wierd anyway.  Not fun when you're already wearing obnoxiously bright makeup to make your face pop during performances. 

Fast forward to now.  I have been trying for 2-3 years to figure out lip color for me.  It's not something I actively work on, but it's definitely something I like to try.  It's been easiest for costumes or going out, because then I can wear an obnoxious red and not feel bad about it. 

Then, about a year ago, I got a full size balm stain in a Birchbox.  It looked a bit silly on me back then, but with recent personal style upgrade, I'm finally able to wear it.  DURING THE DAY!  And not look insane.  Insanely hot, maybe...

I generally like a stain more because if I'm going to wear lip color, I don't want to have to be reapplying it twenty times a day.  Annoying!  Mine is this Just Bitten Kissable balm stain by Revlon.  I love that it goes on as a balm and isn't too red or shiny.  I am able to wear it at work and reapply only once or twice during a whole day.  AND if I don't want to reapply, the stain just leaves my lips a little bit darker and fresh for the rest of the day.  EASY!

 

So here's a horrible picture to demonstrate my success.  The color definitely looks darker in person, but goes well with any outfit and is bold without being gaudy.  What do you think?

 

What are your go-to colors?  How do you find what works for you?  How do you feel about the bold trend?  

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Upcycle - Repurpose - Make - Do!

If you are a faithful reader, you know I like to upcycle whatever I can find.  I'm not over the top, but reasonable.  I've made my own gigantic chalboard, I like crafts, painted crappy old dressers, and so on.  I like to make something old look beautiful, something broken like new, and make something out of nothing.

About a month ago, I went to a "maker fair" called Re:Make with a friend here in Austin.  It was hosted by Brit + Co from San Fran.  They're all about making and doing.  Getting your hands on to projects, and trying to grow your creative brain.  They had a few hands-on projects and I even got to MAKE A NECKLACE!

 



I've gotten several compliments and it's pretty fantastic to say "Thanks, I made it!". 

{PS Ladies, Don't Be Afraid To Take Compliments!}

I definitely stuggle a bit with "creativity" but doing little crafts like this helps me to expand my mind.  My friend Lisa, is definitely helping me along with opening up my eyes, she is so fun and creative!  Maybe I need to start doodling again?  Anywho...

While at the fair, we got to meet tons of local artisans who love the idea of making things.  This was not a flea market, but a very curated event with dedicated makers who make quality products from the heart.  It ranged from jewelry, to food, to paper and clothing goods, and more.  It was fantastic to see passionate people following their dreams!

I have since been keeping my eye on Brit + Co's website and came across this article:  100 Ways to Repurpose.  Some of the projects are a bit out there, but lots of them are totally do-able, like making your own jewelry and decor! 

And I am TOTALLY going to do #62 (USB Message in a Bottle)...yeah I might be married to a tech genius ;) 

Take a look at this list.  TRY SOMETHING.  Don't let your creative juices run out! We need to embrace our younger years of finger painting and infinite imagination. 

I encourage you to check out the list and look around her site.  It has everything from makeup ideas, to workouts, to projects.  I'm sure you could kill some time learning a little something outside the gossip of social media.  Report back with a project you'd like to try, OR something you've completed!