Almost Lipsticks by Clinique. Retro Cool.

Getting nostalgic about My First Makeup is one of my fave things. I can (sadly) dominate cocktail party conversation for hours with tales of the first day I wore makeup to school for make-up pictures. 

Cute story. Cheruth Cutestory*. So you know when you are young and you have a class photo. Well we would get a little sheet that had 2 dates on it. Picture Day & Make-Up Picture Day. Make-up Picture Day was for anyone who was absent on actual Picture Day. However, at the age of 6.5, I thought it meant you got to WEAR makeup and take pictures on Make-up Picture Day. I would think to myself, why on God's green Earth would anyone take regular pictures, when you could have makeup pictures. So I raised my hand and told the teacher I wanted makeup pictures instead of regular pictures. She called my Mom to see why I was planning to be absent on regular Picture Day. I told her I wanted makeup pictures. No one understood me. I went to one of those schools that learns in small groups according to ability. The kids chose their own group name in a democratic process. They demoted me from Group 1 for gifted children (Group Name: "The Scientists") to Group 4 for the learning impaired (Group Name: "The Dinosaurs").  First Grade was... difficult. 

Anyway my Mom eventually learned I had a makeup obsession. Mainly because whenever she would leave the house, she would come back to a daughter who had shaved her legs, or was sitting on the couch very conspicuously wearing blush and mascara, thinking no one would notice. I really thought I was being subtle about wearing eyeliner. But my Mom always knew. 

When I was 11, she finally took me to buy my first makeup! It was an Almost Lipstick by Clinique. I think the word, "Almost" convinced her it was OK to buy it, because it wasn't a full-blown lipstick. My Mom was so awesome about it: She told me she had a surprise, took me to our mall Valley Fair after school, we went up Macy's Clinique counter and she told me to choose what color I wanted from the Almost Lipstick selection!

I was so excited. Here were these amazing silver pens, which twisted up to reveal these beautiful sticks of color. I sat at the counter for what seemed like hours pondering over this decision. I finally settled with the agreement of my Mom and the sales lady on a color called Tutti Frutti-- a very pink which just heightened my natural lip color. The box it came in was so beautiful. I don't know if Clinique still has those pretty soft green and pink embossed boxes with a swirly design on them. I kept my silver lipstick pen in that box until it was tattered and torn, it was just so precious to me. The color was sheer, and age appropriate. It's marketed as not a lipstick, not a gloss. But there is something quite natural about the wear. 

My SuperBFF R had also gotten an Almost Lipstick shortly after mine in Black Honey. It suited her so well! Black Honey looked ultra dark but went on like a deep berry stain. 

At the time, I was disappointed that the lipsticks did not taste like their monikers. Last year, I went out to see if they still make Almost Lipsticks. And they do! This time around, I bought Black Honey-- and it was still a beautiful deep berry stain. It was actually a little too dark for me, so I can't believe our mothers used to allow us to wear these colors in the 5th and 6th grades. Our mom's were COOL! 

If anyone is looking to get their daughters their first 'grown-up' makeup, I really suggest getting an Almost Lipstick by Clinique. It's such a manageable and special item which is only $14. 

I love you Mommy! Thanks for giving me this 'gateway' makeup ;) 

Kisses!

S. 

*What's your name?

Chhhhheruth.

Cheruth. Huh.

Yeah. Cute Story. 

Cheruth Cutestory? 

"You're a Crook, Captain Hook."

(For P.)