turquoise + stripes

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Striped dress from American Apparel, sash from American Apparel, TOMS suede wedges, Skagen watch, Pearl Paradise studs, Solange Azagury-Partridge ring, eBay faux pearl bracelet, eBay fox ring (do we not love this ring? We love this ring). On the lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang. On the nails:  Sally Hansen Jaded.

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It’s incredible how lopsided my lips and nostrils are. Even more incredible that I only notice in photos/video. Actually the entire right side of my face seems to have a slightly larger version of everything. This is standard, I know, nearly everyone has asymmetrical elements in their face and body. It is even a little disturbing when someone doesn’t, or when all of the asymmetry has been photoshopped away. Still. It looks so strange, this unmirrored version of myself. I don’t look like that.

Only of course, I do look like that. That is what I really look like. And to others I would look strange in a mirror, or possibly they wouldn’t notice either way.

I understand that I can fiddle with the lipstick to balance my lips out, but I honestly can’t even see it in the mirror, my face looks so familiar and normal to me. I keep trying to remember which side is which, which side is more rounded and which more flat on my top lip, but looking in the mirror I guess wrong about half the time. I suppose this is also a testament to my poor memory.

Start taking a bunch of pictures of yourself and you learn about all of these strange things you do with your face.

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Here, for example, is this thing I do with my mouth evidently all of the time. I am forever making this kind of dubious face. And often lifting my already lopsided lip into a kind of sneerface. Not ideal, face. Not ideal.

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[Side view. Sneerface omitted.]

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And finally you see why I like this dress.

x

into: NARS velvet matte lip pencil in Red Square

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The NARS velvet matte lip pencils are lovely. Try them out at Sephora sometime, the texture is creamy without being at all slippery, the pigmentation is intense, the wear–provided you don’t layer with a gloss or eat something greasy–respectable. [Does not leave a mark on a drinking glass, for example.] Not sure if you can get this color through the regular channels anymore but even if you cannot, try another – the formula is fantastic. It can be worn sheer (which is still bright), or in layers for greater impact.

This is one in Red Square is of my favorite orange-reds. A vibrant poppy red with a generous element of orange. Will feature it on the lips sometime (not unlike NARS Heat wave). The color is very much of a piece with MAC’s Lady Danger lipstick…which is on the wishlist…though leaning more toward orange. I often think of bright corals and pinks for spring/summer brights, nearly forgetting the quintessentially bright red beloved of toreadors and urgent sign-makers the world o’er. Red is always in season.