last night a bunch of us went to the painted pin in buckhead to celebrate valentine’s day.  i don’t have a significant other, so i considered all of my friends that night my date!  i was pumped for a carefree evening and was also looking forward to hearing our friends play in the band velvet runway.  they rocked the place for a solid four hours, playing all of your favorite 70s and 80s hits.  the bartenders kept the 7s and 7s coming, and after several rounds of bocce ball, i deemed the night a great success.

before the festivities began, though, i went to do a little shopping, hoping to find a new outfit, if not maybe a new top, since it was a special occasion.  my closet might be packed, but there’s room for a couple more blouses in there.  ah, my father would be proud!

i unfortunately had no luck on the racks and felt a teeny tinge of disappointment as i left another store empty-handed.  it’s always that you don’t find something when you’re looking for it, isn’t it?  well, at least that’s what they say.  i turned left and took the stairs down to ulta, for i needed a few beauty supplies.  growing up i was never big into makeup, and there are times these days when i find that i hate “having” to wear it.  i know, i know, i don’t have to, but honey, this face doesn’t look perfect when i roll out of the bed in the morning.  i firmly believe that natural days have their place, as do makeup days.  🙂

i like to think i have the basics of makeup down (somewhat), but one area where i never venture too far from the conventional look is with the lips.  i usually lean more towards subtle glosses or nude shades.  i thought, though, that even if i was going to wear something in my closet, i could easily transform it into a whole new look with a new lipstick.  at least it would feel new to me, and feeling confident is what matters, right?  if you feel confident, you’ll appear confident to others, and according to society today, confidence is the best accessory in your closet.  wait, was that tyra who said that?  or is it your smile that’s your best accessory?  maybe it’s both?  maybe i’ve watched too many seasons of america’s next top model…

so, with that i began the hunt for the new perfect lipstick.  i already had a tarte lipstain that i was in love with, but they didn’t have the right shade i was looking for that day.  i wanted something a little more red-orange, not too pink and not too coral.  i began to peruse the shelves and was finally spotted by an employee who was ready to happily assist.  we walked up and down the aisles, trying out different shades on our hands, and then we finally found it:  urban decay’s revolution lipstick, the bang shade.  it was the perfect shade, super saturated and super rich.  not too glossy but not too matte.  it was a match made in makeup heaven, if such a thing can even exist, and i’ll say it looked killer with the rest of my outfit last night.

it also looks great with baseball tees!

it’s quite amazing how something like a little pop of color on the lips can make you feel like a whole new person.  heck, i even threw some on when i went to starbucks to write this post, just because i can!  the lipstick print on my coffee cup is adorable, and i cannot keep from smiling.  *kiss kiss*