My mother was right: putting on lipstick DOES make you feel better.
It’s more than her mantra: there are scientific and academic studies that have proved it. Yes, there is power in that shiny tube of color.
Seriously, it’s psychological phenomenon that says wearing makeup – and specifically lipstick – creates a boost in confidence. The British Health Foundation said 26% of women said red lipstick made women feel fierce, and a Harvard University study showed – among other things – that students who wore lipstick while taking an exam enjoyed increased academic achievement. It’s contagious, too: the same studies show that being around someone who is exuding that happy lipstick vibe is a natural and mysterious mood elevator. Strong, confident, powerful, intelligent, in control…that’s a lot to pack into a tube and transfer onto a woman’s face. Yet, science – and my mom – say it’s so.
My mom didn’t need a think tank or an Ivy League university to affirm what she believed to be true. She knew – intuitively and by life experience – that a carefully applied swipe of Estee Lauder Portofino Rose with a spritz of Estee’s Youth Dew elevated her mood, and by extension, the mood of others around her.
“Put on some lipstick, you’ll feel better” was one of her signature statements and her go-to self-care treatment.
She was not shallow or vain at all: she fully appreciated the idea that true inner bliss came from within yourself. She also lived her life with a positive attitude, a hopeful outlook, and a deep appreciation for “the better angels of our spirit” transcending all. She had her dark moments for sure. She grew up during The Great Depression. The first years of her marriage were spent living in her parents’ home with my older sister and brother when my father was in the Army during World War II. She was barely middle-aged when my father died, and she weathered those sad, grim years with a dogged determination. It wasn’t easy. She didn’t pretend it was or will it away. She just forged on.
She suffered a series of strokes in her early 80s and lost the use of her right hand. Before her formal physical therapy began, she started to teach herself how to use her left hand to preserve a small part of her independence. That meant signing her name, using a fork, and applying her lipstick.
Granted, not all life’s trials are this easily solved. Spectrum Health is here for you with the help you need to meet life’s challenges.
When you need a boost, sometimes some lipstick and a little perfume is enough to restore your inner resolve…with a smile.
Cherie Messore
Sr. Manager of Public Relations
(and Chanel Pirate Red devotee)
