How do you feel about wearing red lipstick? So many women come to our training academy and freeze when I say they’ll be trying on their perfect shade of red lipstick during the Colour Analysis training. It’s baffling to me because I’ve always loved wearing red lipstick. How can a colour that I find so empowering be so intimidating for others? By the end of the training, my delegates almost always do a 360 and can’t wait to purchase their perfect shade but if you want real insight into the power of red lipstick, read Michelle’s story, she’s one of my gorgeous Style ME Stylists and her story is so familiar to my other delegates!
“So, I’ve never really been one to wear colour on my lips.
When I was much younger I wore the occasional Tangerine orange or Fuchsia pink. As I’ve gotten older I’ve opted for the more natural hues with a hint of gloss, as I believe it to be unassuming, non clashing, softer and just all round easier to wear but never ever did I wear the colour RED.
I always thought that it was just too bold a colour for me to wear & that it wouldn’t suit me (not that I had tried)
Now I’m not sure where these reservations or my fear of red derive from, perhaps I just didn’t want any more attention being drawn to myself as standing at 6 feet tall already came with its fair amount of attention but then, that was never a problem for me, so why not red lipstick?………..
I was embarking on a new journey in my life, a fresh chapter, and a new beginning and decided at last after years of consideration that I was going to be a Personal Stylist.
I took a couple of courses with the Style ME Training Academy and it was there on the Colour Analysis course that my view of wearing the colour red on my lips changed FOREVER.
The group was asked if they wore red as a colour of choice on their lips & I replied with a resounding “NO”…There it was again my fear of red lipstick but why?? What I did notice however was that I wasn’t alone & most of the group were like me!!! Nisha smiled and told us “Everyone can wear red, it’s just finding the right red that suits”.
By the end of the course I was given my right MAC red lipstick, I apply my shade, look in the mirror, I think it looks nice but I’m unsure, this look is very unfamiliar to me, very bright, very bold, very daring…hmmmm. I received some compliments from the other ladies in the group, I can’t stop looking at my reflection in the mirror, I think I want to like it but I’m uncertain.
Anyway I make my way home still wearing the red lipstick to try and get used to it. I get on the train I catch a glimpse of myself in the glass and suddenly I get an irrational thought & decide that it’s not me & rustle through my bag as though my life depended on it looking for a tissue to wipe it off before I get home…This is CRAZY!
I’m determined to conquer this fear as deep down I think a part of me liked what I saw but it was just such a sudden change to the muted lip colours I would usually wear, I needed to get used to it.
So I went out bought myself a Ruby Woo lipstick from MAC.
I tried it on in store the sales assistant said it looked great (but she would) I managed to get home with it still on but removed it immediately when I got in but that was progress.
My battle with Ruby Woo continued for a couple of weeks. I would get dressed to go out, put her on then change my mind before leaving. Until this one morning though that everything changed…
I wasn’t having a particularly good morning, everything that could go wrong that morning did so I decided to get myself ready for work and don my red lipstick. Now I’d never tried wearing red lips to work previously but I remember Nisha saying, wearing red lipstick makes you feel good and exude confidence, so I thought after the morning I had had it couldn’t hurt & I could do with a good dose of that!
No sooner had I stepped out the front door I’m greeted with the biggest good morning from my neighbour from across the fence who proceeds to tell me how lovely I look!! I’m surprised, as he must have seen me in that outfit 1000 times and not once made a comment.
I walk to the bus stop a lady stops me in passing & tells me I have a beautiful smile and asks what lipstick am I wearing & how much she loves the shade. I then get another comment on how nice I look from someone I see every morning. Surely this cannot be the effect of the red lipstick?!
I arrive at work and my work colleagues tell me how bright & fresh my face looks. At first I’m not sure how to take this as they may be suggesting that I’ve been looking rather tired of late but instead I decide to embrace it, the only thing I have changed about my appearance is my lip colour.
Could a simple thing as a change in lip colour make people perceive you more differently? My journey to & from work that day was filled with compliments like these. I tried it again the following day and the red lipstick effect was still in force…and just like that my fear was conquered!!
Now I don’t wear red lipstick everyday & some days I still do get lipstick on my teeth but I wear it when I want to feel ultra sexy, strong, when I have meetings, when I need a little pick me up in my step & I don’t know if its in my psyche but I really do feel good when I wear it.
So I would say to anyone out there who has a Red lipstick phobia, if I can get over mine then you most certainly can EVERYONE can wear a shade of red. Its just finding that right red that suits you…”
Michelle xx