It’s Lipstick Day! 💄

Some of my all-time favorite lip products!

As a lippie hound, today’s my day to shine (and shimmer and gloss and pucker up) for it’s National Lipstick Day! Some collect shoes, some collect figurines, while I…well, I don’t necessarily collect lip products, but I know I have plenty in my stash, and that’s all I’ll say! 😜

The ones you see in the header pic are my all-time favorites. As luck would have it, most of those lippies have been discontinued, and I can’t even find dupes for a few of them because those particular shades and finishes are now out of style. Apparently, shimmery lavender nudes and glittery glosses are not hot these days. From top left to bottom: Urban Decay Vice lipstick in “Asphyxia”, Marc Jacobs Beauty lipstick in “No Angel”, Pat McGrath Mattetrance Lipstick in “1995”, Urban Decay Vice lipstick in “Trance”, NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in “American Woman”, Pat McGrath OpuLust lip gloss in “Naked Rose”, and NARS Lip Pencil in “Bad Girl”. Only two of these are still around. 😞 The OG Marc Jacobs lipstick cases were exquisite. And if only the OpuLust lip gloss line can make a comeback!

If I were to pick one from that bunch to have an endless supply, it would have to be the UD Vice in “Trance”. It’s not advertised as a nude (it’s a medium-tone pinky-brown), but it works well as one with my light-medium neutral beige skin tone. It also gets bonus points for its metallic finish, and I lean towards lippies with more of a satin/shine finish over matte finishes. I’ve seen a few shades from MAC’s Frost Lipstick line that are decent dupes for “Trance”, but I’m still clinging onto what’s left of the original for dear life. “Trance” was as close to perfection in a lipstick for me. It was never drying, lasted up until I ate something (unless if it’s a liquid matte or a lip stain, lipsticks don’t really last that long), and had great color payoff.

Also, I find it amusing that Lipstick Day shares the same day as Chicken Wing Day. If I were to pick one lippie from my all-timers to last through a feast of chicken wings, it would be the NARS Powermatte. That baddie will last through almost everything.

Happy Birthday, Playgirl! (And A Special Sale)

cover of my eBook The Playgirl

Not even an avalanche of assignments from my short summer class* can stop me from celebrating the born day of my 1st eBook. And in honor of her 3rd birthday today, from now until Friday 7/31/26, you can read her for FREE! You can get your freebie at Smashwords or Apple Books (more outlets coming soon), and if you like modern, sensational women’s/LGBTQ+ fiction that’s also free, I got your book right here! 

Happy birthday, Playgirl! 🥳🎂

*Those assignments are keeping me away from posting here, though, if you haven’t noticed. I have 2 1/2 weeks left of the course, and then I’ll have two full weeks to crank out my long-form nonsense before I start another round of online classes for the fall semester.

Now Playing (7.4.26)

My Song Of The Day and you know why:

Listen closely to the lyrics. Things really haven’t changed since 1985, has it? It’s two-plus minutes of social commentary, and seven minutes of funk and Prince shaking his ass in nothing but lace pants.

And because I refuse to let MAGA trash taint this day, I’ll be rewatching this. There was a time when I enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July, and President Obama and First Lady Michelle are two reasons why. Plus, Xtina is in this!

🚨SALE ALERT!!🚨

cover of my eBook The Playgirl

It’s the birth month of my first eBook The Playgirl, and she will be part of Smashwords’ Summer/Winter Book Sale all July! Now through July 31, 2026, you can get a copy of my book for half-off its original sale price! The sale is exclusive to Smashwords.com, and if you’re up for a modern, sensational women’s/LGBTQ+ fiction, have I got the book for you!

***Link to my eBook***

PS: look out for a special sale on its birth week at the end of July…🤫