Yesterday, I was getting ready to go out, and noticed that my current lipstick was at it's end.  (I use a brush to get the last bit out.)  So I opened the lipstick drawer to get another tube.  Yes, I said drawer--there's a bunch of tubes of lipstick--they need their own drawer.

I started using lipstick back when I was in the 8th or 9th grade, and through the years have purchased the latest color, hue, shade--whatever--that guaranteed to make my lips luscious.  Which, of course, never happened.  So by now, I have tried a zillion tubes of lipstick.  Which goes to show that a woman will believe anything that is guaranteed to make her look beautiful, pretty, attractive or just "better."  And of course, I couldn't ever throw any of those tubes away--it would mean I had given up.

And in addition to all the lipsticks I bought, back when my mom died I cleaned out her things because my dad couldn't bear to do it, and sure enough there were umpteen zillion tubes of lipstick in her lipstick "drawer."  Estee Lauder--gift with purchase items, etc., which had never been used.  So naturally I couldn't let them go to waste.  I took them home and added them to the lipsticks in my drawer.  Red, pink, mauve, umber, bronze, gloss, etc., etc., etc....

Well, yesterday, when I dipped into the drawer, I realized that even though I had bought two new lipsticks this year, there were only twenty or so lipsticks left out of the dozens and dozens and zillions that had accumulated through the years.  I had determined some time ago not to buy any more until I had used up the ones I had left--I do have a little will power.  (Yes, I bought two more this year, but they promised to make me look young again--what was I to do?)

I have been using up all those lipsticks for the last twenty years or so.  And was able to reduce the total to a manageable number, and yesterday, I gave up the designated drawer--so it could be used for something else.  And from all that, I have learned one important fact.  Lipstick doesn't work like the advertisements say it will.  But I heard the other day that there is a new kind out that may do it trick.  It's called a stain.  And I'm not going to buy it.

I am in lipstick recovery.