In the Red

Every morning it's the same thing.  I stand in the bathroom pulling my makeup bag out of the cabinet, and Emilia comes rushing in behind me.  She whizzes right past, bends down to grab her stool, scoots up to the mirror, declaring all the while, 'I need some makeup on, too!'

While I stand there putting a nice shellac on my face, Emilia digs into my bag and pulls out eyeshadow, eyelash curler, and mascara.  She knows not to touch my concealer, because no matter how many times she tells me that she has dark circles under her eyes, I don't believe her.  And she is also not supposed to be touching my mascara, but she is convinced that the tube that came with Lancôme's free gift a few weeks ago belongs to none other than herself.  Ordinarily she likes to apply it right to the middle of her forehead, along with whatever eyeshadow or pencil she can get ahold of before I yank it all away.

The last thing we do, though, as I am putting it all away, is apply our lipstick.  She stands there with a tube of Chanel Glossimer, and whips the wand out like it's nobody's business.  While I, on the other hand, resort to my treasure trove that is well out of her reach.  I may be missing many products in my beauty regiment, but lipstick is certainly not one of them.  I do love me some fancy lipstick.

That being said, I was on Nigella's blasted website several months ago looking at her lists of things that she loves.  (It's kind-of in the manner of Oprah's list, I guess, but not nearly as annoying.)  Anyway, after staring at this list for only a few seconds, one begins to realize that one will not be able to sleep at night unless one immediately procures some of the items that she is raving about.  On her list are things like: a gorgeous wooden little kitchen, which is featured prominently on the first page of her newest cookbook (major piece of garbage, by the by.  Ours not only came in the mail broken, it is also now comprised of mostly super-glue.  Cute, but not meant to be played with -- at all...); Estée Lauder's Advanced Night Repair, which I also immediately purchased, and have no idea if it actually does a lick of good.  Since it is quite expensive, I think I may just stick with my trusty Argan Oil (Shea Terra Organics makes a fabulous one, and it lasts for ages...); Bendick's Bittermints, which I have looked for to no end and cannot seem to find.  I may just have to resort to ordering them straight from the UK; and, lastly, Revlon lipstick.

When I read the bit about the lipstick I was really quite intrigued.  I think I had just finished watching that biography on PBS about Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein.  Anyway, they were the queens of beauty and lipstick until Revlon rolled out their own wares.  Naturally I ran to Bartells the next day and bought myself a tube of it.  I think the one Nigella raves about is actually called Really Red, but I opted for the one next to it -- In the Red.  When I called Lizzie on the phone to tell her all about it, she ran to the drugstore and bought it as well.  Only she bought them both, on account of the fact that it was buy one get one.  Why don't I ever run into these sales?

It has taken quite a bit of time, but I think my Revlon is finally beginning to grow on me.  That is because every time I see a picture of Little Lizzie, she is wearing the most beautiful shade of red lipstick.  Of course I always demand to know what it is, and she always says the same thing, 'In the Red, silly!  What else?'  The biggest drawback to this lipstick, though, is that it dries the daylights out of my lips.  Seriously.  I end up searching for tubes of chapstick twenty minutes after I put it on.  I have finally learned to apply a nice layer of shea butter (or even that Maman & Bebe Balm from L'Occitane) before the lipstick, and there you go.  It is not the fanciest stuff in the world (it cannot hold a candle to my beloved Vendôme by Chanel or Flamenco by Nars), but it is one of the prettiest shades of red I've seen.  (In my mind, Flamenco is the best red on the market right now.  It's gorgeous, which is why I've got two, but it still isn't as nice as Chanel.  Chanel actually smells like fresh roses.  And not artificial, by the way, but like you've actually just plonked your nose in the middle of a rosebush.)

However, as Emilia and I stood putting on our makeup this morning, I couldn't help but exclaim, 'Hey!  Why are you putting on Chanel and I'm putting on Revlon?!  It's a world gone mad.'  To which Emilia laughs and  says, 'Do it again!'  Which means I must repeat what I've just said to her, while she laughs in delight all the while.  But it actually does bare repeating.  Why on earth is she wearing Chanel and I'm sporting Revlon?!  Hmpf!, if I do say so myself.  My mother is right, I am creating a monster.  And I hate to say it, but I am truly enjoying every minute of it.