Humble Review: The Perfect Lipstick

I admit it. I'm a girlie girl (albeit a pretty opinionated one) in all the cliched senses of the word. I like clothes; I like perfume; I like handbags; I like magazines. And, for the record I don't really care if there are pink Legos marketed to girls, because honestly, I like the color pink. (But, I also like the colors red, blue, and yellow, too, and in this day and age, aren't we raising our girls and boys to know that they are free to play with whatever colored Legos they want to play with, be they pink or primary-colored? Despite my girlie-girl bent, I played with the traditional primary-colored ones as a child -- although I probably would've chosen pink ones had they been available at the time.) But, I am digressing here, and dating myself, because what I really want to write about is lipstick.

Natural lipstick.

I found The One this past weekend shopping in Boston. From the Pure Color line of lipsticks by Estee Lauder, The One is a creamy, moisture-packed stick in a neutral color called Rose Tea (how perfect is that?) that complements my pale skin perfectly. As soon as I applied it at Saks, the sales lady said, "Wow, that really brings out your eyes." That's what they're supposed to say, but my husband agreed. What really sold me was the way the lipstick made me feel: sexy, sassy, and confident, without looking like I was trying too hard, the way that wearing bright red lipstick, false eyelashes, or stiletto heels can seem.

At $25, the lipstick was probably a bit of a splurge, but for something that I will wear on an almost daily basis, I say it's worth it, because what the hell -- it makes me feel like a million bucks! With a subtle apricot scent, the lipstick is moisturizing while imparting a nice long-wearing pigment on the lips. It's the perfect marriage of special and practical. 

Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick.

Growing up, my mom always used Estee Lauder, and now that I'm an adult I find myself drawn to the brand for certain products (namely the foundation and serums, and well, now the lipsticks too). While I can sometimes be a product rebel (not wanting to use something that people I know already use) I'm now compelled to Estee Lauder because the line offers what I've discovered the lipstick to be -- that appeal of both the special and the practical.

Now what would really knock the lipstick out of the park is if it had a little flip-out mirror for on-the-go application, but that would probably be asking for too much, now wouldn't it? Oh, well. A girl can dream.