Chapter Nine, in which Koog talks about shoes and lipstick

The major advantage of being on dialysis is that the swelling has finally gone down. Now, when I look at my feet, I see, well, feet. And I smile. Of course, I put on my spiffy Timberland urban hikers today and they don't really fit any more because my feet were so swollen when I bought them. I put those particular shoes on because I had decided to take the Metro down to GWU Medical Center, and that would involve a little walking. It doesn't count as an urban hike, but whatever. You want the real reason I chose those shoes? They went with my outfit.

Take that. The outfit was only denim shorts and a baggy gray t-shirt, but my shoes went with it. I felt special enough that I wore frosty lipstick.

The upshot of my trip to the GWU Medical Center--and wasn't there a TV show on many many years ago called Medical Center, and didn't it star somebody named Chad Everett?--is that I have to go back again next month, and the month after that, and the month after that. Quelle fun for me, and for you; don't you know I'll tell all about it right here...

Actually, my tendancy to blather about my health has come in handy in that I was able to look back and see how I was feeling on any given day when I needed that information. I look forward to the time when I have something else to talk about.

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The point of makeup is to look like you're not wearing any... of course, this takes two hours.--Calvin Klein

The first try failed miserably. Chanel French Pink. This was an opaque pale blueish-peachish pink. It was the first lipstick I had ever had that cost more than $10; oh, and it came in a square tube, which I thought was very chic indeed. It tasted vaguely of Chanel No. 5 and when I remember what it looked like on me, I recoil in horror that I went through three tubes of this stuff before realizing how bad it looked: chalky and vaguely fluorescent.

The next attempt was a Clinique thing called Super Nectar, I don't remember what feature made this line of lipsticks Super, but there was something. This shade was paler than my lips, and it was the peachiest lipstick I had ever worn. Actually, I think the proper term for the color was pale coral. It wasn't bad, but it was still kind of thick; I remained on the hunt.

Fast forward several years during which I wore reds and plums to the early 90s and MAC's Florien, a medium pink in a satin finish. I don't know what I was thinking, this was a clear step back in the direction of French Pink. It took me two tubes of Florien, which I was convinced was The One, before I realized my mistake. This realization was spurred on by finding MAC Spirit.

I took one look at Spirit and saw the shade from long ago, the one I had mixed myself. Spirit has the advantage of being a light-medium brownish pink. I honestly don't know if it's still available, but it's a good lipstick. It was much more subtle than any of my previous tries, but it wasn't perfect.

Three tubes of Spirit was the end of my MAC phase. I believe that they think of their Viva Glam II as a lip-colored miracle because noted non-makeup wearer k.d. lang agreed to promote it. Sure, but I think it's too blue in the tube.

The next thing I tried was Bobbi Brown's Nude. This is a classic shade, but it was a little too orangey for me. I swapped it away, via alt.fashion, to a woman in Ohio for a really nice Poppy shade that I recently ran out of and seems to be discontinued.

The current contender in stick form seems to be Stila Jill, which I've seen described as "caramel." It's got a nice texture, though I'd be happier if it were a little tiny bit bolder.

I have no doubt that I will find the perfect pale-to-medium pinkish brown-brownish-pink satin texture lipstick, though. It is my destiny.

before - after