How Lipstick Changed My Life

Lipstick?  Not what you expect to read about here at In My Own Style, but without lipstick, I may have never become interested in DIY, decorating, and eventually blogging about it.

I was reminded of how I got into DIY decorating when I was asked if I would like to have a new blog sponsor – Cover Girl.  It didn’t take long to decide – YES!

If you have read my About Me page, you know that I can’t live without lipstick. It is a part of me. When my hubs and I go out and I don’t have pockets – he knows he will be packing…  a lipstick in his pants pocket.  In high school the girls hanging out by the bathroom mirrors always knew who to ask if they forgot their lip gloss that day.  I was known as the lip gloss queen.  I love it and still do – it just brightens up my face no matter what color – sheer or dark.  I have many shades all neatly organized in my bathroom drawer.

But how did lipstick change my life?   Well after I graduated from college and couldn’t find a job in NYC, I moved back home with my mom and dad and took a part-time job selling cosmetics at a local department store.  After working there for a few weeks, the department manager asked me if I would clean and straighten out the cases.  It was slow in the store that day and I was bored, so I took my task a step further and had some fun by making a display along the bottom of the cases.

I folded paper into tent shapes and kissed each one with a different color of lipstick.  I then wrote the name of the lipstick on the paper and lined them all up in the case with a tube of lipstick in front of each.   I went home at the end of my shift and didn’t think twice about what I did.  Late the next day I got a call from the display manager (who I had never met) asking me if I would like to be his full-time with benefits, no nights or weekends assistant. He loved what I did and my initiative.  He ended up becoming my creative mentor and my book, Instant Decorating was based on all the things I learned by working with him. It would have never happened without lipstick.

So when asked if I would like to have a Cover Girl ad on my site, it made perfect sense.  If I didn’t get into retail display, I may have become a make-up artist. I did it all the time for my friends and when I worked in the store.  I sometimes think how much fun it would be to be a celebrity makeup artist like Pat McGrath making those beautiful faces look even more beautiful.

Below is a video made by Cover Girl with two different segments.  The first is behind the fashion show scene footage.  The second is make-up artist Pat McGrath showing how to perform the perfect smoky eye and bold lip on model Jessica Stam.

My own make-up is now based around anti-aging and I did pick up a tip from Pat in the video on how much effort to put into blending foundation.  She really blends it in well – really well!  I tried taking my time and did this and it made a huge difference. I may not have Pat to make up my face, but I have the DIY mind-set to try to make myself look as good as possible – all without without spending too much money.

So when you add it up – Cover Girl is perfect for me – Affordable DIY tricks, and style.   Enjoy!

Cover Girl

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Tagged as: COVERGIRL, fashion, how-to, intense shadow blast, Jessica Stam, lip perfection, make-up, Pat McGrath, smoky eye