It’s National Lipstick Day (July 29), and I’m reminded that my grandma used to say that I should never leave the house without lipstick on because you never know whom you’re going to meet. I don’t necessarily agree with that statement, especially because she never told me what would happen if I ended up seeing this person that I didn’t know I was going to meet with just my bare lips. Would they run away screaming? Turn into stone? Although her recommendation was a tad on the anti-feminist side, she did have some useful words of wisdom to share. Like when I was single and would complain to her about all the guys I was dating and their faults, she would often retort: “OK, now let’s talk about what’s wrong with you.” I’ll let you stew on that for a while. In honor of my dearly departed grandma Phoebe and her obsession with painted lips, I suggest that you read one of the following books while celebrating National Lipstick Day, which also happens to be my birthday (Happy Birthday to Me!).
This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.