A Southern Thing : Lipstick

The choices are endless! There seems to be a never ending range of colors to choose from, not to mention the different types of lipsticks and brands! Why do women love lipstick? Lipstick draws attention to the lips and makes them stand out. It is thought by some that highlighting the lips can make women more attractive to men, but many woman choose to wear it just simply because they like it. I have always loved lipstick (and makeup) and do not feel fully dressed to go out without it. I do not have a specific "one" lipstick that I have to have (at the moment), although I do tend to buy a lot of MAC and a lot of pink!

The choices can be overwhelming when going into a store to choose a lipstick, we are offered every color of the rainbow and then some and also we can choose the type of formula we want! This can get hard! LOL Here are some of the different types:

MOISTURIZING - This helps keep lips soft & smooth and often contains vitamin E and aloe. It keeps the lips looking wet and shiny so you have to blot and reapply depending on how many times you eat or drink or how dry your lips are.

SATIN & SHEER - These are also moisturizing and nourishing and contain high oil ingredients. They appear darker in the package than they do once applied. Your lips will look very shiny & glossy but because of the oil ingredients you must reapply often.

MATTE - These are my favorite because of their staying power! They are offered in many colorful & nice shades and are not too drying. These are flat and not shiny on the lips but your lips look smoother with a matte lipstick. You can also use a vitamin E product or aloe on top of the formula for a glossy appearance.

CREAM - This formula is not shiny like satin but has more of a smooth effect on the lips. Cream lipsticks contain more wax in order to protect the lips, but this also has a drying effect on them.

PEARL & FROSTED - Frosted lipstick makes the lips sparkle and glisten. Pearl and frosted lipstick both reflect light and gives the lips a very shiny effect. Some of these formula's can feel heavy and the lips do need to be moisturized before using.

GLOSS - Gloss is very popular because it makes lips shine and enhances the dimension and depth of the lips. Gloss can be used alone or on top of a traditional lipstick.

MAC Red
MAC Red lipliner
(natural hair day!)

LONG WEARING - These lipsticks have a formula that keeps lips looking good for 4-8 hours. I have some friends that have said these don't work well for them, I have found that if you clean your lips really well before applying it works very well.