Poetry in a lipstick tube

Lipstick

Lipstick (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve always wondered: Who gives those fancy names for lipstick shades? All ladies will agree that it’s NEVER as simple as “red.” It has to be kick-ass convincing like Really Red (Revlon) or True Red (L’Oreal).

Do cosmetics companies actually hire people to think of those names? Coining all those cheeky lipstick shades sounds like a really interesting job for any writer.

You know, why say pink when you can be whimsical and say Wink for Pink (Revlon), Pink Lemonade (Avon), Pink Sparkle (Estee Lauder), or Gentlemen Prefer Pink (Revlon)?

Red, depending on the sheerness or boldness of the color, can be strong as Toast of the Town (Revlon), Bold and Beautiful (Benefit), Tempt Me (Lancome), Fired Up (L’Oreal), Lady Danger (M.A.C.) and Runway Red (Dior).

Or coy and cutesy as Rose Aglow (Clinique), Adorable (Chanel), Angel  (M.A.C.), and  Sugarplum Shimmer (Elizabeth Arden).

And then there are those lipstick shades whose names may say something about the mood or personality of the wearer: Amusing (Chanel), Utter Fun (M.A.C.), Riveting (M.A.C.), Showstopper (Victoria’s Secret), and Impassioned (M.A.C.).

Or the fruits-of-choice of the wearer: Apricot Glaze (Mary Kay), Very Cherry (Maybelline), Ripe Raspberry (Covergirl), and Guava Stain (Clinique).

Of all the lipstick shades I’ve  read about, seen in make-up counters, or actually swiped on my lips, “Attitude” (Chanel) and “Bahama Mama” (Wet n Wild) baffled me the most.

The possibilities are really endless. Pucker up! 🙂

So in the spirit of fun writing prompts and unique lipstick shades, I present to you a poem I just wrote. This is inspired by none other than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) list of 400 lipsticks…with the highest lead content levels! (Actual lipstick shades are in bold font.)

Paint me compassionate
Oh summer sunset
Crimson joy
I’m at my shiniest sexiness
Bold and beautiful
Lying on a red velvet bed of roses
All heart
Naked ambition never to be obscured
By amethyst smoke or magenta mist
Forever basking in the golden splendor
Of my sunkissed La La Land

(Written for Poetry Picnic Week 29)

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