The Classic Ten: Lipstick (#8)

"Darling," she instructed me, "would you reach in that drawer there and give me my purse. A girl doesn't read this sort of thing without her lipstick."

-Truman Capote

Being a self-professed tomboy/menswear lover, lipstick isn't something I collect or have a particular love for. But there is something about it that makes it so classic, vintage and, of course, feminine. Lipstick is something I've also always associated with being an adult- and a lady. Before reading this chapter in "The Classic Ten" my only real previous knowledge about lipstick was what I had observed from my mom. When I was younger I would touch and play with all of her make-up cases and eyeshadow palettes. But there was one thing I never touched, and that was the lipstick. It was a tube that twisted out these beautiful pink, red and coral colors. The tube I allowed myself to touch, but the creamy color stick inside, never. 

Even today, I feel like lipstick is just out of my league. It was only recently, very recently, that I bought my first tube of lipstick (at 19 years old!) But I'll talk more about that later. I've had only two experiences with lipstick that made me want to go grab a tube:

I don't know what it is about Coco Rouge and these advertisements, (with Johnny Depp's wife, Vanessa Paradis!), but I love it. The color looks beautiful, and with her skin tone, natural eye make-up and hair, and light floral shirt, I just can't stop thinking of the English countryside or a spring day in France. And either place I would die to be right now, so if I get this lipstick it'll be like I'm there, right? Well, no, but still. What a lovely shade of pink.

Now segue. Perhaps the reason I love this pink shade of Coco Rouge so much is because it reminds me of a certain style icon. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's wore this light, youthful and classy shade of pink. And, like a lot of other girls, I want to be as much like Audrey as I can, so I went in search for a similar lipstick shade as Coco Rouge and Holly Golightly's lipstick.

Beautiful! Right? The lipstick looks fantastic on her.

This is Revlon's Pink in the Afternoon. I read some articles on line... Well, I think I literally searched "Audrey Hepburn lipstick in Breakfast at Tiffany's", but no shame. I found Pink in the Afternoon, which just has the cutest and most whimsical name I can think of for a lipstick. It must be very popular too, because I had to go to three different stores to find one that had this particular shade in stock! I think it's a good blend between my two favorite shades (and it helps they are very similar...). 

I felt as awkward taking these photos as I look in them. But here I am with the Pink In The Afternoon shade on. Pretty in pink! It's not too crazy and just natural/light enough to wear everyday, which is exactly what I wanted.

Erwin Blumenfeld's famous Vogue cover of 1950 with
Jean Patchett's "doe eye and the immaculate rose red arc of her mouth."
-- which truly embodied an entire era of women & lipstick.

Revlon's Fire and Ice campaign with model Dorian Leigh. On the right was "a coy test that was supposed to determine the answer to that question." [Are you made for Fire and Ice?] These ads were hailed as brilliant, for it it focused on the confidence of the woman. No man in sight or romance, which was quite common before this ad. 

Some lovely photographs from Vogue Italia, July 2009 via dieyoungstaypretty88.wordpress.com.
Cigarettes and dark lipstick-- very sexy. 

-Raquel x