Shaker Thumbs

We haven't had a Shaker Thumbs in more than a year (!), so we're long overdue. Shaker Thumbs is your opportunity to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to a product or service you have used and that you'd recommend to other Shakers or warn them away from.

Today, I am giving a big thumbs up to ColourPop Cosmetics. I recently read about ColourPop (I wish I could remember where, so I could give credit), a company whose leaders believe "that whole barrier between fancy and affordable is absolute nonsense. That's why all of our products have luxury formulas at prices that won't break the bank." And they aren't kidding: Every lipstick, lip liner, and eye shadow sells for $5.

At $5 apiece, I decided to try a couple of different colors. I bought the "Bossy" lip liner and lipstick, and the "Feminist" lip liner and lipstick. Now, it just so happens I wanted to try a red and a purple lipstick anyway, but those names were certainly extra encouragement!

Last night, I tweeted a picture of me in "Bossy," which I love so much!

Today, I tried "Feminist," and omg loooooooooove.


It was hard to find the right light to show off the exact color of "Feminist," but it's a deep, rich, very dark purple, which works well with a variety of skin tones. Naturally any lipstick bearing the name "Feminist" should be both audacious and versatile!

Of course, particularly if you've got virtually translucent skin like I do, you've got to be willing to rock a look that verges on goth. Which, obvs, I totally am!

But! If you want something a little less bold, ColourPop has a nice selection of colors from which to choose, so you should be able to find something that works for you, if you are so inclined.

For many years, I never wore make-up at all, or very infrequently. I had no talent for applying it, and I didn't know what looked good on me, and it was too expensive (for me) to buy stuff just to try it and then never use it again. So I really like when I find affordable options for trying something new, which helps me experiment and also just learn the basic art of make-up application.

Part of the reason I got to the place where I had no talent or interest in make-up is because I always resented the idea of make-up as a cover-up of one's flaws. I didn't want to feel obliged to cover parts of myself that others perceived as flaws.

But, in the last few years, partly because of the freedom afforded by no longer working in an environment in which I have to conform to a limited definition of "professional appearance," I've started to enjoy playing with make-up. I resent utterly "make-up so I look like you want me to look," but love "make-up so I look like I want me to look."

I will never like make-up as obliged cover-up (which is distinct from someone who personally wants to use make-up as cover-up—a choice I do not judge), but it turns out I like it a whole lot as self-expression.

Anyway! Give us your thumbs-up or thumbs-down in comments!

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Just to be abundantly clear, I am not affiliated in any way with Colour Pop, nor am I receiving any form of payment for recommending them. It's just a thing I've personally found super useful and am happy to recommend.