The Art of the Red Lip
Growing up as a little gay boy in a Latinx household, I was obsessed with special events; Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Birthdays, Parent-Teacher Conferences, anything that gave a reason to break out the “nice clothes.” As much as I loved my vests and perfectly shined cowboy boots, I was always mesmerized by the clacking of my mother’s high heels on our hardwood floor. They only came out on such occasions, and the outfit was never complete without the tube of Red Lipstick coming out before we left the house. It was then that my mother became much more than that. She became a superhero. Suddenly there seemed to be no obstacles; no language barriers, no need to ask for permission. She was a charmer, sweet talker, a fearless mama bear. As I got older, I would overhear my mom give life lessons to my sisters. Coming from those red-stained lips, I would pretend she secretly included me in the conversation on how to be a strong, fearless human being. As I got older, I held on to those lessons, and it wasn’t until the moment I picked up a tube of red lipstick that I realized how transformative a red lip could be. Yes, even for men.