Smashbox

Smashbox Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss in Hibiscus

Dear Self,

Please keep in mind these notes on lipgloss and life, and hold on to them when you’re feeling sad or yucky.

Remember…

…that you can always change your circumstances. It’s not always as easy as changing your lipgloss, but sometimes it’s the smallest changes that make the biggest impact (see: the Smashbox Shades of Fame Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss Set, $29, which includes five tiny travel-size glosses).

If you’re lonely, reach out! Put those fingers to work, and email, tweet or text a friend or coworker. Maybe make a lunch date.

When you start feeling like you’re stuck in a rut, shake things up! There are BIG shakes, like planning a trip, so you have something fun to look forward to, and little shakes, like committing to do just one thing differently today, even if it’s just walking down a street in your neighborhood that you’ve never explored before.

Always remember that you’re not alone, even when you feel lonely. The pressure you sometimes feel to be funny, creative and interesting, the doubt, the constant wondering if you’ll be able to think of exciting new ways to call something “neutral” or “nude.”

People understand that you’re only human; no one can be on all the time.

Remember what works for you, and write like a crazy person! Write with reckless abandon. Write as fast as you can! Don’t worry about word counts, deadlines and cutting stuff down, because you can deal with all of that stuff later.

Remember that you have the power to change your point of view. See silver linings, and welcome new challenges with open arms and a positive attitude.

Remember that you can do this. You can write raw, and you can write real.

Remember that everyone sees the same things in different ways. Some might see the five tubes in the Smashbox Shades of Fame Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss Set, and think, “Meh, just another limited edition batch of standard summer glosses…”

They may not get beyond the surface details, like how thick and sticky these feel, how moisturizing they are (very), their light vanilla flavor and scent, sheer-to-medium pigment or their three-hour wear time.

Others might see the same glosses, however, and think, “Wow… Lipgloss is kinda like life.”

Sometimes, it’s all sparkly and beautiful and everything you ever wanted it to be. Other times, it’s gritty, and not at all what you expected. Sometimes, it disappears too fast, or you get your hair stuck in it, and that really sucks … especially if you’re on a bicycle without brakes (been there, done that).

Papaya
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