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Lip Service

Every woman remembers her first kiss... and plenty of us also remember the lipstick we wore during that magical moment. Some say scent is the ultimate blast from the past, but I believe that perfume pales next to the sensory slam evoked by lipsticks of long ago...

My love affair with lipstick began with a Cover Girl concoction called Rosewood; its earthy aroma and waxy, florid flavor still ferry me back to my first primp, my first prom, and yes, my first peck. College was all about the matte mystique of MAC (I gilded my pout with a tube of Taupe back then). On my wedding day, I chose Dior Addict in Scandalous Fuchsia. I wore it once and only once, though it will forever retain a place of reverence in my makeup drawer.

As a beauty editor -- and lifelong lipstick junkie -- I’ve sampled virtually every brand and shade of stick and stain and shimmer, from drugstore workhorses to custom-blended, gold-capped creations. The color of my mouth, like my moods, is mercurial... changing with the weather and the whims of fashion and fortune.

These days, I’ve gone hardcore. As in, I like my stick with kick -- lip-plumping potions, mentholated balms and cinnamon-infused glosses that almost hurt. (I’m a Lip Venom addict, thanks to the evil genius of DuWop’s cosmetics engineers). Once in a while, though, I wonder whether maybe I put too much emphasis on what goes onto my lips instead of what comes out of them.

Indeed, Audrey Hepburn, that eloquent icon of elegance, once mused, "For attractive lips, speak words of kindness; for lovely eyes, seek out the good in people; for a slim figure, share your food with the hungry..."

Beauty tips from lovely lips to live by.