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The Beauty of Being Yourself from Glamour Magazine by Poppyposted on 03/03/2008 | Back to Blog This is an article my fave Poppy the Lipstoick Queen wrote for this Glamour magazine- it is exactly how we feel at Glow!
The glamour of being yourself Thin! Bronzed! Botoxed! Blond! Too many young women-even famous ones-are craving in to a A woman recently showed up at one of my counters in search of a lipstick. But not just any lipstick; she was celebrating her thirtieth birthday that night, she said, "and I want to look really glamorous like Scarlett Johansson's." This woman was attractive in an earthy way-tousled hair, jeans, fabric bag, very little makeup. I knew an over-the-top color was going to look wrong, and offered up some lighter shades. But no. She tried on one bright red. Then another. Then another. No red was right, because, simply, it wasn't her. Copying a star's look is nothing new. In the 16 years I've been selling lipstick, both from my own line, Lipstick Queen, and as a Prescriptives exec, women have always asked for this or that celeb thing. That's completely sane! What worries me is that these days women seem to feel they must make like stars in order to be glam-and they're starting to look alike. Whatever happened to playing up what you've got? Whatever happed to being unique? Celebs themselves are looking like they were churned out from the same Hollywood factory: They're bronzed, sinewy but busty, with artfully messy waves and tiny button noses perched above huge glossed lips. They're so generic it's almost alien! Lots of beauty icons no longer even have the features they were born with, something I remind myself of whenever I feel a little disheartened in comparison (I have a biggish nose, along with unruly hair and pale skin). I recently heard that the vast majority of women don't get plastic surgery to fix something they're unhappy with; they do it so they'll appear more "normal." The shame of it is that women feel like freaks for looking at all different. True glamour means not conforming to some standard. Me, I like adventurous outfits, no eye makeup and lipstick that's so red. It's a dramatic look that definitely not for everyone, but it captures my spirit (even as a kid, when I scraped my knee, I had to have leopard-print bandage). Knowing that I'm distinctive has only fueled my confidence about my looks. For years I've been going to the same New York city café, an actress and model hangout, and a very cute guy behind the counter once told me I'm one of their sexiest customers. I asked if he was kidding, giving the hordes of genetically gifted women who frequent the place. He just said, "You've got your own thing going on." I was happily surprised; I'd always felt intimidated by the perfection there. So many experts these days, from the plastic surgeons on Dr. 90210 to Janice Dickinson (the you're too fat" Cruella De Vil of the modeling world), are pushing a perfect, idealized look. And it's undermining women's confidence in their appearance. Clients used to come to me asking for suggestions on, say, how to play up their eyes or lips. But now so many are straight-off asking for "that celeb look," as if there's a formula. They're lost in a sea of beauty clones. You'll stand out much more if you work your own look. When you try to be someone who you aren't, not only do you smother what's special about you, but you can never be comfortable in your own skin. This I learned a few years ago, when I landed a major new job and started dressing in really corporate-y suits. I seemed so awkward, even my boss commented, ever so nicely, "Poppy, you're not looking like you!" So what does the glamour of being yourself mean for you? A few clues: • Take a good look in the mirror, make-up free. Which feature really stands out to you-your eyes? Mouth? Skin? Play it up! I have nice, plush lips and so I wear bold lip color (it's no coincidence that I've made a career out of lipstick!) • Also take a good look at yourself after you've done your face. The best kind of makeup will make your hair, skin, and eyes look brighter. The wrong kind will look like you're...wearing makeup. • Tune in to your comfort meter. Whatever you put on, be it blush or a push-up bra, you should be able to forget about it. If you keep doing mirror checks or fussing, it's just not right for you. Only things that feel good from the inside will make you look good. When the customer who maws seeking Scarlet Johansson-hood finally put on a soft plum lipstick, she realized it was right. "Wow! This is me," she said. And it was her, at her most glam. To know yourself and to be yourself is the most glamorous thing you can do. Go for it.
With Love and Glow, The Beauty Guru
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