Friday, February 1, 2013

Matte Lip Color and Other Things I've Learned



I wanted to do a post all about matte lipstick and why I am not a fan of that trendy look, but it has turned into so much more than that.


I feel that matte lipstick (for those who do not know, 'matte' refers to lack of any sheen or shine or life whatsoever.  tabletops? those have sheen. a cardboard box? matte.)  has the ability to make anyone's face, no matter what color the lipstick, have a more tired/annoyed/angry/unhealthy/dead appearance, as opposed to lip products that give a little gloss and a moisturized happy look. I'm not saying MAJOR shiny lacquer, but a little liveliness. More on this below.
And while I am a HUGE fan of all girlie magazines, I began to wonder which one men preferred. Or...if they even really notice.

                                                      

            (no shine on lips. image found on google images)                                                           (glossier lips. image also found on google images)

I began my...research?...by posing the question on Facebook for all of my guy friends to answer--'when you look at girls--any girl--do you prefer glossy lips, matte (absolutely NO shine) or bare?'


I received a few answers that pertained to my original question. Bare, no lipstick, not super glossy, and also one that stuck out at me posted by a girl.

Girls mainly do their makeup for other girls. Fashion, too.

What else I learned #1:

This has to be incredibly true!

Many women read fashion magazines and use these as the foundations for the season's clothing trends. A lot of these looks you will find on the runways are not practical for day-to-day wear, but we tend to adapt the looks to what we can afford/pull off/walk in.


And others are just plain odd, but the fashion world DROOLS over the ingenuity.


LEDERHOSEN, AMISH BONNETS, AND FOOT BINDING WERE ALL THE RAGE ON THE RUNWAYS IN MILAN FOR THE JEAN-PAUL-JACQUE-ETIENNE-LUCA-HARICOTS VERTS L'ORANGE SPRING 2013 COLLECTION. 

MODELS SHUFFLED DOWN THE RUNWAY SPORTING THE LATEST HUNTER GREEN AND HAND-STITCHED CASUAL STYLES.
(image found on google images)
GET THE LOOK! PAGE 247
One never knows when traditional German work garments, religious persecution chic and self-inflicted deformation will be 'in' again.

Guys don't particularly care.

Which, looping back to lipstick, leads me to another thing I learned.


What else I learned #2:                        

Guys only notice a girls' physical features that make her female.

Does she have boobs? Yes. Kind of. Maybe? Yes.
Does she have a butt? Yep. Ooooh. Kind of. Yes.
Oh look, a face. Pretty. Kind of. Yes.
Back to the boobs. And the butt.
Yes!

I'm assuming that they're not fans of a ton of makeup that can be wiped off on them or anything their face touches. I will ask this question in time...and in a much more detailed manner. Maybe with a poll feature.                 

                                                     

As for my opinion?

I associate shine and gloss with things that are desirable. Luscious  Juicy. Deeeeelish.
Shiny apple? Dry bruised apple?
Healthy skin flush after a good run? What you look like with the stomach flu?
Nude patent leather peep-toe stiletto pumps? Worn out work shoes that you fill in the toe with sharpie to hide scuffs?

I see the face as a beautiful picture and makeup as the frame surrounding it. The more I get into different looks, the more you too will be able to see my picture frame analogy.

But here's a taste: eyeliner defines the eyes and makes them stand out to those who look upon them, like a highlighter does to words on a page.
Gloss does the same for lips. The shine pops them out. Gives that juicy 'KISS ME!!!' look. 

But there are two extremes. 


Too glossy can 1. get on your teeth and can lead to embarrassment, 2. be unapproachable to potential suitors (or if you already have a suit..or) because there is waaaayyy too much on there and they don't want it to get all over them, and 3. too much product of anything you put on your face has the tendency to travel to places it isn't supposed to go.

(image found on google images)
Too matte can 1. make you look sickly depending on the color, 2. make your lips look chapped (or show off the chapped lips you already have because matte accentuates the flakes) and 3. completely dry out the lips and that can be uncomfortable. and lead to chapping.
I would post a picture of chapped lips, but they're not the most appealing thing to see among all of this glossy goodness.

There will be posts about long-wear makeup to follow. Stay tuned!


At the end of the day, I am not a fan of matte lipstick and the look it gives the face and prefer a glossy and healthy shine, and guys aren't exactly sure what matte or what lipstick is at all. So why should women worry so much about what color or finish to wear on a date? 

(oh come on. we'll still do it anyway)
They're also not focused on if her outfit is from this season, last season, or 34 seasons ago.

As long as she works it.



Thought of the day:

What do the grenade stickers on the backs of cars mean?

and also

What else I learned #3:

The first search that comes up on Google when you type in 'difference between...' IMMEDIATELY goes to 'difference between affect and effect'. We should all study up on our grammar!

1 comment:

  1. We were talking about that at Annie Sez the other day--why women will wear new styles even if the look does not flatter them. I was reminded of the dark ages when I was a teenager and the miniskirt look first came out (well, maybe not first--there was the flapper look in the '20s!). It wasn't that women were blindly following the trends--it actually came to the point where you couldn't buy anything else! So the fashion world and the retailers (who have to buy what the vendors offer them) more or less forced the look on the consumers, as they still do. I think we're luckier today, because there seems to be a wider range of styles available, so a careful shopper can still find what looks best on her. Fashion designers should practice what they preach, though--you're always told that vertical stripes are more flattering than horizontal, yet just try to find anything striped that isn't horizontal! (I have to admit, though, that I'm kind of glad that the skintight look for maternity wear wasn't around when I was pregnant with my kids!)

    I just want to throw another question out there for another day, something about which I've always wondered: why do so many men spit on the ground? You'll rarely (if ever) see a woman do it, and yet men and boys are constantly hawking one out there. Do any of you females out there find that attractive? I know I don't!

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