Remember coloring books? It was always relaxing, comforting and fun to dive into my shoebox filled with Crayolas, plop belly-down on the floor and settle in. Hours later, I’d emerge with my works of art.
Thinking back, I realize there were a few types of distinct coloring book personalities:
1. The OCD: They’d never, ever colored outside the lines. If the color ran outside the black line, they’d rip out the page and start over. (This wasn’t me.)
2. The Rule Breaker: They’d run free with the crayon, scribbling wherever they felt like it, ignoring the lines completely. (Not me either.)
3. The One Who Tried: They made an effort to stay within the lines but didn’t always succeed. For their personality type, the idea was too constricting and so what if a little color bled beyond the lines, anyway? (Guilty.)
But now that I’m in this so-called midlife, I really need to color inside the lines when it comes to one thing: my lips. Because that’s when it really matters. Color outside the lines, and you’ll end up looking quite ridiculous, calling attention to the mistake rather than to what you’re trying to achieve: a fuller, more well-defined pout.
And that’s where lip crayons come in so handy.
The Story.
As we hit midlife, stuff happens, not least among them a thinning or fading of the lips and a gradual obliteration of the lip line. That’s because both muscle tone and natural collagen degrades. Lips become thinner, lose their fullness and “fade” into the face.
The Details.
Hence the invention of “lip liner” pencils. But these sharp-tipped devices are not made for the color-outside-the-lines kind of women, nor the heavy-handed or impatient ones. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used them, thinking I was doing myself a beauty favor, and ended up catching a glimpse of myself in a mirror afterwards, recoiling in horror. Either the lines were too harsh and fake-looking or because I scrubbed off my mistakes, trying to get it right again and again, my skin was rubbed raw. My husband lovingly calls one particular event “clown mouth.” (You get the visual, I’m sure.)
Ammunition.
Jane Iredale has come up with a perfect solution to filling in your lips: crayons. Not the Crayola-type you used as a kid, but sort of a grown-up take on them. They’re aptly named PlayOn Lip Crayons.
These lip crayons (note: they’re not thin pencils) eliminate the need to spend more than just a few seconds creating the illusion of fuller lips. They’re practically mistake-proof. They’re lusciously creamy and infused with moisturizing oils (hence, they go on super-smoothly, eliminating the need to wipe off and start over again) and the colors stay put on your lips for hours. I’ve been using them, and I can guarantee no one will be tempted ever call me “clown mouth” again. And that is really comforting.
Ahem.
More Deets.
You know how some days you feel like sporting daring red lips and other days call for more subtlety? They’ve got it covered with their varied color palette, which ranges from a brick red (they’ve named it Naughty) to a pale, natural-looking bubblegum pink (Charming). Sometimes I get real creative and mix a few colors from my selection, coming up with my own personal slant to match my mood (or outfit).
Want one?
The best part is that these are available, yes. But the better part? I’m giving one away. (It’s not used, I promise, and is coming directly from Jane Iredale). Just leave a comment, describe the color you’d like, and one name will be chosen at random. The giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only, and will end on Tuesday, August 25 at 9PM ET.
Happy coloring!
Nancy Monson says
I’ve never been a brick red type, Sheryl. I remember going to Merle Norman Cosmetics in the ’90s and they put bright red lipstick on me and I felt SO self-conscious–like people could see my lips coming a mile away!
By the way, adult coloring books are all the rage! I have a couple and they’re very stress-relieving. (I’m a tryer, too…not always in the lines, but I make the attempt.)
SherylK says
Hi Nancy – Red, in my opinion, can only be worn by a select few – I find it generally looks best on women with dark hair, for some reason.
Yes, I know about the adult coloring books…have a few of them, and must do a post about them, too! Thanks for writing.
Debra MacKillop says
Thank you for sharing this information. I find I cannot really even wear a bright color anymore as it is true about the bleeding beyond my lip line. One of my sons one day told me “Mom, you have lipstick gone rogue on your face.” Ha. “Blissful” sounded nicely neutral.
As a counselor, I found having coloring books or paper and crayons on the coffee table in my office was great for many clients to relieve stress by coloring while talking, and that they experienced a cognitive shift that was helpful for them to be more comfortable, open, and go deeper.
Laura says
Wow, I would love to try this product.! I like the “lucious” color.
Missy says
That’s cleared my thoughts. Thanks for cobriinuttng.
latanya says
I like the naughty color.
Irene S. Levine says
I’d love to win “luscious.”
I didn’t realize bleeding was age-related. Thought it was my lips alone!