I Feel Empowered When I Get Ready Naked Or By Wearing My Favorite Lipstick (Revisited)

Flavor of the Day: Damn Tasty's Runtz Pre-roll & it WAS Damn Tasty!

Music Vibes: Faithfully by Journey

Some days, you need to feel empowered by being naked; some days, you just need to be empowered by wearing your favorite lipstick.

I have a lot of people asking what RLF is, and my response is always, "Red Lipstick Friday!" It's something I started years ago to make myself feel good & show myself some love. Red lips are a very bold look, and some days, you just need that bold look so that you can kick ass and slay the day, even if it's in a casual setting. I may not do red lips on Fridays as much now. However, I still rock the red lips whenever I can.

I've worked in places where red lips are probably not the expected look, and at one time, made me apprehensive about rockin' the red lips, but now I don't care. The red lips are for me, buddy, not you.

I got the idea of RLF from Alivia, the owner of my favorite coffee shop, Evergreen Coffee (which is unfortunately closed down now,) when I went there to get one of my usuals, a hot white Snickers with white coffee. It was a casual Friday at work & I was sporting my red lipstick. She complimented my lip color and I do what I do with every compliment, I found a way to try to brush it off as if I didn't deserve the praise. (Something I'm trying really hard to get better at.) I asked her, "You don't think it's too much for a casual Friday?" Her response:

"NO, GIRL! What better day to rock the red lips than a casual Friday!?"

(There's a reason she's a favorite & I adore her. She's an amazing woman. I've been supporting the shop since it had its first owners, and I was so happy to hear that she was going to be the new kick-ass, of course, owner. She is genuine and makes the customer feel good without it feeling fake.) So after she said that, I of course felt like the Goddess I am. I rocked that red lipstick & I have continued to do so periodically on Fridays for years (as well as other days, of course), deciding to try & make Red Lip Friday a "thing." It's kinda a "thing," but I kinda wana make it a THING. (This is why we hit that share button on ALL of the social media platforms. Yes, you! Post those Red lips!)

I don't always like a bold look; in fact, I normally hate attention on me; I usually just want to be invisible. For years, I had been self-conscious about wearing red lipstick because I thought it made my teeth look yellow, or maybe it was just too much for an event. I always envied the girls who could pull it off. I finally got myself a tube of red lipstick. If you need long-lasting lipstick, ladies, go get yourself a tube of Maybelline's Super Stay Matte lipstick. I made sure to get the kind that stays on, and you don't have to reapply because I hate that shit. (Ain't Nobody Got Time For That.) I am so happy with my purchase. It literally lasted me 24 hours once & after a long night of partying & not washing my makeup off, (I don't recommend, but shit happens.) I woke up to a full set of lips still intact. My mascara, not so much, but that's a different story.

Red Lip Friday isn't just about wearing red lipstick, it's about empowering yourself to try THAT look. Try the look that you tell yourself you can't pull off because maybe you can. Maybe you'll surprise yourself. It doesn't have to be in the form of red lipstick, although I do recommend finding that "right" shade of red for those who do wear lipstick. Some people don't like the color red on them, some haven't found the right shade, or whatever the reason is, & that's ok. I totally respect and honor that. You live your best life in the look that you've created for yourself.

Celebrate Yourself in Whatever Color You Want To!!

Stop worrying about what other people think. (Yes, I'm talking to myself as much as I'm talking to you.)

I can honestly say I feel better about myself when I'm not trying to impress anyone, and I've recently come to the realization that I've gotten laid more often than not when I wasn't trying. (Don't ask how I came to that conclusion.) 😈😜 So why the fuck do I stress about something as little as red lipstick so much?

Be yourself. Who cares if you're too loud, too quiet, or too much of anything? There's a quote, "Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter." (Something like that.) It's fucking true. If you're true to yourself and you're a good person, people will love you and your flaws. They'll stick with you through the hard times & help make the good times the best. They don't give a fuck about your makeup or what you wear, they might not even remember those details. They care about the memories.

For my own self-esteem, I need to do certain things to make me feel good about myself, so if walking around naked or red lips and hooker hoops aren't your thing, that's ok. Find whatever your red lipstick and hooker hoops are and wear it with pride. Take that one day a week (at least) to just make sure you're making yourself feel good. People love us for a reason, and they show it in their own ways. We need to show love to ourselves, too, in our own unique way, even when we feel self-conscious about something. Especially if we feel self-conscious about something. As funny as it sounds, wearing that daring look can give you that extra pep in your step. Literally.

If you have something in your life like my red lipstick or walking around naked, & you're cautious about trying it, just do it. If you don't like it, then you don't, but sometimes getting out of your comfort zone and taking a risk turns into a RLF.

Be empowered!

Thank you for reading, sharing, and caring.

Love ya babes.

🖤💋💨