In the last two weeks, I've attended two shiny, glamorous events. One was a lunch for brave ladies. The other was the conference where I was nominated for an award. And I gained a valuable insight at these events.
Apparently, women carry lipstick in their handbags.
At the lunch, there was a spot prize for the first woman to produce lipstick from her handbag. A forest of hands reached into clutch bags and produced tubes and tubes of the stuff. And at the conference, the MC, an extremely accomplished woman, vouched for the confidence boost of a good red lipstick.
I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn lipstick. Lip gloss does the job for me. I can let on I'm Amy Huberman, shiny-lipped actor and author.
When I performed People Wipe Me, I talked about what I believed a 'proper' woman to be and how I cheerfully failed to follow ‘proper woman’ rules. Like the ones I’m going to share with you now.
What Colours Say About You
The MC, reading the conference crowd perfectly, pointed out that as you reach midlife, there's only one question you need to ask yourself, "Is it black or is it blue?" I looked around and saw acres of black and blue clothing.
I was wearing a pink trouser suit.
Photo Description: Cheating a bit - this is from the day I won the Waterford Women in Business Award. Here I am in the pink trouser suit, between the Network Waterford President Mailo Power and the National Network President Emma Early Murphy.
Bubbles and Sparkles
At the conference, champagne flowed. A ‘proper’ woman is mad for bubbly drinks, served in an elegant glass. This is a rule I’m happy to follow. But at the pre-conference shopping event, I was immune to the sparkles all around me.
While the other women queued to buy the sparkly produce, I found a few other contrary souls and went with them to the waiting bus, where we had a grand chat.
The Woman-Shriek
Before I went up to the conference, I told my husband I was practising my woman-shriek. When 'proper' women see their friends, their voices become high enough to splinter a champagne glass. And I confess, when I saw friendly faces at the conference, my own voice reached those great heights.
I'd like to think I've mellowed a bit since People Wipe Me. These business environments are unnatural. You're expected to be a more polished, shinier version of you and your success or failure is entirely in your hands.
So, you can’t blame women for slipping on a second skin, to help them navigate the lipstick jungle.
Some people take the obligation to be shiny too far, Derbhile! Your pink trouser suit looks great. I actually can't believe the MC asked for a show of lipstick!! Like you I've worn it approximately three times and felt acutely self-conscious on each of those occasions. Stick to what makes you comfortable and let your personality shine is my motto!