thinking twice about my lipstick

What this blog forces me to do is to assess the everyday decisions I make and the possessions I take for granted and study them. But there is no rhyme or reason as to why I look into certain things be it leather, cotton or even loofah's and I like it this way. So that's why I am writing about lipstick.

Today, while perusing the interwebs I was painting my nails and thought "what the eff is in this stuff?!". But not being up for playing the 'Sherlock Holmes of the internet' role I distracted myself by thinking about my fabulous new lipstick (that I got on sale) that was next to me, which I had bought along with the fabulous gold nail polish (not on sale) and my for some silly reason brain remembered a frightening phrase I once heard "there are fish scales in lipstick".

I have no memory of where I read or heard that fact but at the time it was a factoid I really wanted to suppress deep deep deep into the depths of my brain and never ever ever ever think about again. It just grossed me out. My brain however, felt differently today and I found myself searching wikipedia with wet nails. This is what I learnt:

• Cleopatra had her lipstick made from crushed carmine beetles, which gave a deep red pigment, and ants for a base.
• In 16th Century England, lipstick was made from a blend of beeswax and red stains from plants.
• The first commercial lipstick had been invented in 1884 [and was] covered in silk paper and made from deer tallow, castor oil, and beeswax.
• Lipsticks with shimmering effects were initially made using a substance found in fish scales called pearlescence. And still today, shimmery lipstick may contain mica, silica, fish scales, and synthetic pearl particles to give them a glittery or shimmering shine.

My oh my oh my. At first I freaked - I can handle beeswax, fake pearls and oils but I'm not so sure if I want to slide fish scales across my face (and unavoidably eat it). But after a bit of time I thought about how I eat fish and cows and sheep and I don't mind recycled leather and how I'm not trying to become a vegetarian here, I'm just trying to think twice about it all. So I calmed down. And then put on the lipstick.

You see, I'm not trying to live a life of avoidance (and annoyance) but just a life where I think about what I am doing. I think it's shameful that for the past 15 years I have worn many lipsticks, lipbalms, lip glosses, lipstains and lipliners and never once thought "what the eff is in this stuff?". Because I should have. I should know where the stuff I buy, put on my body or in my home comes from and what impact it has on the planet and on people.