Does this lipstick make me look fat?

Sometimes, all it takes to get me out of a rut, beauty or otherwise, is buying a new lipstick. It all started years ago when I got my hands on my first Bonne Bell Bubblegum Lip Smacker. One swipe of that sticky sweet gloss and I was never the same.

It’s the cheapest fix I have for being in a bind. Easier than changing husbands and cheaper than buying shoes (or is it the other way around.)  And even if my dress size goes up or down, I never have to worry if it fits. One size fits all.

It’s a one second mini makeover. A swipe of pinky beige lipstick on my pale pout and I go from awful to awesome. Just like that.

Oh, the colors are so pretty, and the names are so alluring and full of promise. Who could resist Clinique’s flirty “Adore U”, “Blushing Nude” and “Luscious Lilac,” or Mac’s zesty, “Ravishing,” “Naked Paris,” and “Sassy Spice.”  What’s a girl to do?

The funny thing is that I keep buying a half shade lighter or darker of the same pinky beige lipstick every time. (I do this with eye shadow too). Though from what I hear, I’m in good company.  At every makeup counter I’ve shopped or drooled at, the saleswomen shared that most women usually pick a similar shade every time they buy, even when desperate to tweak their routine.

A few times I’ve made the mistake of going out of my best color range (Blame it on the fluorescent lighting). I keep those winners at the bottom of my drawer. Those colors run the gamut from marshmallow fluff to tree bark. I can’t bring myself to throw them out. There’s always Halloween.

Do you have a lipstick fetish too?