SCARLET WOMEN
“This office looks like it’s been taken over by fembots,” said my boss. “Oooh,” I replied. “That shade looks great on you.” Four decades of female journalists report from the red-lipsticked frontlines. 50s Carolyne wore M.A.C Lady Danger
“I loved the name. I thought it would make me feel sassy and a bit naughty like Claire Underwood from House of Cards. The truth is the saucy slash of red on my lips turned me into a self-conscious wreck. I felt more Ronald McDonald (without the flaming red ’fro) than the President of the United States.”
40s Kirsty wore Estee Lauder in Prowl
“I usually wear L’Oreal 453, aka ‘Rose Creme’. You have to be prepared to go red! It looks a bit like high heels with track pants if you have a perfect red pout and the rest of your look is washed-out beige. As a blonde, there were a few self-conscious moments when I wondered if I was just one tattoo away from looking like an extra on Outrageous Fortune. Wearing red is out of my comfort zone but I enjoyed the change and I loved the ‘you look pretty, Mum’ from Miss Eight.”
30s Emma wore Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in Hot Red
“I spent the first part of the day feeling overly self-conscious but, as I started to feel more comfortable in my new look, I realised it holds a certain sway. Red lips attract attention. They exude power and sex appeal. And something tells me men agree. The day I went to work wearing my new shade I was told I looked ‘bangin’. Coincidence? Considering I was wearing a high-neck sweater and jeans, I’m guessing not.”
20s Tess wore L’Oreal Paris lacquer lip paint in Red Fiction
“It smells nice and the little wand for application is great for getting it evenly on to my ‘thin, mean lips’ (direct quote from a family member who shall remain unnamed). But this is not a lipstick in the vein of other wet-tomatte types that have flooded the market. It stays glossy and is really more of an extremely vibrant gloss. It bleeds out quickly and comes off when you eat, though the remnants stayed on while reporting without an umbrella in the rain for the America’s Cup parade, which was a bonus.”