Trend Spotting: Red Lips, Man Repeller or Propeller?

Rouge G de Guerlain, $46 at Bergdorf Goodman

The prospect of red lipstick as a Man Repeller is fairly controversial. Done in moderation, the beauty trend can exude a certain Old Hollywood glam factor.

all photos by Who is Bobb-Paris 

Or perhaps, just some sort of vibe that reads: mature woman, good with her mouth.

When worn by chronic magnets like Camilla Belle, Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz, my argument--that red lipstick may in fact serve as a wood cutter--comes to a quick close.

And then I remember that we're Man Repellers. Excess is the name of our game. Think of the red lips as the sort of...cherry on top.

So our take on the trend will more likely look like this:

Sequined cape! Chain-adorned head gear! Burnt orange short-sleeve blazer! Holy frizz cut, now we're talking.

 

Givenchy S/S 2011

My own experiences have proven that red-lipping yields weener-nipping. Real life remarks include: "I'm not kissing you with that shit on your lips." Good, I didn't want one anyway.

"You're trying too hard." 
"You look like a clown." 
And my personal favorite: "Your lips clash with your outfit" ...evidently, wearing red lipstick is also a fine way to separate the actual straight men from the ones who just think they're straight,


As with all other trend-spotting installments, the trend being dissected often crowds the pages of our favorite street style sites. Today, we look to Who is Bobb-Paris for inspiration.

 

I applaud her effort at trying to include a small bit of sex appeal via lace bralette, but the chambray shirt and high-waisted pajama pantaloons make this an immediate Man Getter fail. Good for you, Fupa Fran.

Perhaps another effort at exuding a small bit of sex appeal? I see London, I see France, I see your granny-underpants. Sorry, Charlie. There's a dead animal around your neck.

Here, a fancy feline rocks three of the trends Lee shared yesterday. Jungle animal and oversized shirt on top, combat boots down below. There's something to be said about her pixie cut. Something like, I rock the pixie, so I got no dicksie? Just throwing it out there. Reprimand me if you want.

Holy Man Repeller. I will just commend you for matching gloves to lips and leave it at that.

 And last:

Here's to a striped blazer with aggressive shoulder pads and a piece of jewelry that resembles a weapon not even Zorro would use. As aforementioned, those red lips are just the cherry on top.

I'll conclude with an anecdote that may further substantiate this theory. My mom married my dad in 1986. On the night of their wedding, my dad was a dapper babe, he had just returned from a tropical business trip. My mom on the other hand wore big white dress with big white puffy sleeves. To accompany her big white puffy sleeves, she thought it a grand to have a makeup artist from Iran come to the U.S. and make her pretty. Good idea, right? Wrong. She ended up baring a painfully striking resemblance to Bozo the Clown. And as you know, that motherfucker is scary. Her skin tone matched the stark white dress. Her eyeshadow, that started at her eyelid, and traveled far beyond her eyebrow matched the smurfs her children would idolize years later. She topped off with bright red lips and an aggressive blush across her cheek bones. "That's what was in," she once told me. 

My dad saw her and panicked. Fear not, though. They pulled it together for the big night and their ending is a happy one. After all, their genetic merge resulted in ME! Their most notable creative endeavor.

Family history aside, it's time for you to weigh in, fellow wood cutters. What do you think?

 Are red lips a Repeller or Propeller?