Just a Little Lipstick

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that my love for all things beauty started when I was really young. My grandmother has owned a salon for years, and I spent a lot of time there as a kid. I was an observant child, and something that really stood out was seeing the transformation of the women. They all left looking more beautiful than before, but so happy. That image stayed with me.

Years later, I was attending a conference, and the speaker was impeccably dressed and spoke so eloquently. She began to tell the crowd her story: she came from an abusive background, with a controlling ex. One day, while he was at the store, she did the bravest thing ever and escaped with her two small children. She didn't have time to pack or plan, so they left with only the clothes on their backs. She was able to get into a shelter for women, start over, and become a successful speaker, but the one thing she missed then was makeup. Yes, true beauty comes from within, but she said that having makeup, just a little lipstick, made all the difference in her confidence. Something so small can make all the difference sometimes. I immediately thought back to the women in my grandmother's salon who left smiling and with a bounce in their step.

I truly admired her, other women I've read about, and even women in my family who have been through such struggles. I thought about how I could help them. I returned to the story of the speaker who wanted "just a little lipstick." It turns out many shelters will accept new and sanitized used makeup (see my post here and please ask them first). Think how much makeup/products we throw out, because the color was wrong, or the product didn't work for us. Those could easily work for someone else. Please consider donating.

I'm not brave or courageous like these women. I'm shy! I'm confident in my beauty knowledge, but get me in a room of strangers and I want to hide. Unfortunately, being a blogger doesn't allocate time for shyness. To be successful in blogging, I needed to attend events, which is something I'd avoided for over a year simply because I didn't have the confidence. All of that changed when I received an email for an event for sheltered women who are now entering the workforce and getting a fresh start. My heart knew this was the event, my first, to attend. I was so nervous the night of the event. I couldn't wait to meet and hear the stories of these women. And before I exited the car, I took a deep breath, and added just a little lipstick.

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