Over the weekend, the bear and me went to Midvalley for the Maybank Treats Fair. However, this is not an entry about that Fair.

Rather, it’s about Shisedo’s slogan for their new range of lipsticks.

Red the first color.

While their website indicates that this is a throwback towards Shiseido’s history, I would like to think that it means the first colour seen on a human being besides their skin tone.

Red, the colour of blood.

Passion, heat, intensity. In most of human culture, lips were almost always painted red. Not blue, not brown, but red.

It’s a vibrant colour, stark against the colour of our skin. It’s attention-grabbing. It’s unsubtle. It’s powerful.

Red, the lip.

I love having red lips. There’s something incredibly strong about such a colour. I love especially, wearing them on my lips. I wear them though, not for others, but for myself. It is a silent affirmation, a subtle reminder. My words are my own, but when I speak, how they are received, depends on how I deliver them.

And that pretty much reminds me of my job as a copywriter.

Having my painted lips is a form of armour. A silent reminder to stand firm. To speak clearly. And to carry myself with confidence. To remember that I chose to wear this face. That I have control.

A control I need to exercise more often.