November 12, 2016 – Lip brush luxury –  you’ll LOVE IT. 

          A few days ago I whined about a just-bought-last-week, perfect shade of lipstick that had melted in the cover of the tube in my November 2, 2016, blog.

          It was not a complete loss. During my life time of between jobs and many relocations it has caused me to learn how to be frugal with everything, but especially with my lipstick during the “lean” times.

          As a young woman, I splurged for an elegant retractable lip brush which allowed me to leave the “down-to-the-nub” lipstick at home and carry my fresh new lipstick with me.  By using a lip brush, I could frugally use up the three-fourths inch of un-used lipstick that was left in the tube and not let it go to waste. Mind you, a serious savings.

          There is something so “personally” loving about using a lip brush to apply your lipstick.  If you have never used one, I suggest you purchase one.  You will love it.  You simply have more control and it is a simple delight of being a woman.

          When I was dating my husband he remarked he liked the taste of my lipstick.  That made me apply it much more often than I usually did [in order that it get kissed off.]  At that time I carried my lip brush along with my lipstick in my purse.  He always enjoyed watching me refresh my lipstick with my classy lip brush.

Later when we got married he would occasionally look up at me – in a restaurant – or out and about, he would pause and say “put some lipstick on”.  Often it was a case I was being “shown off” to his associates and he wanted me to look “stunning”. [If that is possible?] But, it really was more of a “barometer” in a way. If I didn’t look “up to it” after the lipstick he might suggest we go on home because he knew I was tired.  [I get cranky when I am tried, and not much fun.  He is the pro-active type.]

          My original lip brush died, and I bought another one, also a quality instrument, but after several years or so it, too, died.  The mechanism that twisted the brush out of the wand stopped working.  This happened about 20 years ago.

          Yesterday I was straightening up my makeup items and remembered the ruined lipstick.  I took it and two other “down-to-the-nub” lipsticks and scooped out the lip cream into a little sample face cream jar that had been cleaned out and sterilized.  I now have enough lipstick in that little jar to last over a year.  Later, getting ready to leave the house, I grabbed my current lip brush and as I am literally “painting” my lips I realize this lip brush has lasted well over 20 years.

          It is a quality engineered piece of art work which has been used daily.  It was a special gift and very dear to me. 

Often my husband used to go to the Plastic Show in Chicago as part of his work and he always brought home a gift for me.  That year he knew I was fussing about my current lip brush that wasn’t functioning very well and I had been looking for a replacement.

The shopping out in Chicago near the convention center is world class, and with a younger manager accompanying him, in the freezing cold, they went in and out of a few stores.  He was on a mission – a retractable lip brush – that was worthy of his bride – that’s me.

My husband has a charming way with the “cosmetic” ladies and he found exactly what he wanted.  He even suggested to the young manager with him to buy his own bride a lovely gift.  But, alas the young man didn’t budge on that suggestion.

But, for me, it was like Christmas – way ahead of time – when upon arrival from the convention he gave it to me.  I opened the beautiful presentation box; the gold retractable lip brush was nestled in a bed of navy taffeta in the long-thin box. It was truly a perfect example of mechanical engineering that was beautiful, functional and shouted to the roof tops - “I love you”.

When my husband saw my delight he said, “Put some lipstick on.”