I don't care if you exercised. If you got a personal trainer and toned up, trimmed down, fitted back into the clothes you wore before the pandemic hit. I don't care that you got moving, went from couch to 5k, or beat your personal best. I don't care that you want to be a "better... Continue Reading →
Beauty standards, ageing and confidence
I've spent more years than I care to imagine working out how to love my reflection. It might sound strange to anyone who doesn't identify as a woman, or wasn't raised as female, but the constant stream of messages we receive about how our appearance is the most important thing about us takes a certain... Continue Reading →
Wonderful websites that changed my reading habits forever
When I gave up reading women's glossy magazines in my 20s, it was partly because I found very little of interest to read in them any more, and it was partly because I was erroneously beginning to think that so-called "women's things" were unimportant (thanks for that patriarchy!). I thought that reading about superficial stuff... Continue Reading →
Ovation: Challenging the lack of gender diversity and inclusivity in theatre
I like hearing about creative projects, especially ones by women for women. Having recently discovered Ovation - a new forum for women and female identifying creatives in British theatre, aiming to provide opportunities for networking and skills development - I thought I'd help them spread the word with a quick blog post. The Ovation website... Continue Reading →
Review: House of Burlesque Revue at the Underbelly Festival
I've had a fondness for burlesque for a decade now. The costumes, movements, and facial expressions all help to tell a story, and the best acts are often the ones that do something the audience doesn't expect. I've always preferred a little subversion to a lot of 'glitter tits', and thankfully there are plenty of... Continue Reading →
How a corset told the tale of Westworld
[SPOILER ALERT] This article contains mild spoilers for Westworld season 2, mostly in the form of discussion of costumes. I recently finished watching season 2 of Westworld and am still processing the clever storytelling, the visual brilliance, and the excellent performances from a delightfully diverse cast. Despite being set in a 'wild west' theme park,... Continue Reading →
On marriage and name changes
I started planning this post months ago, when I was first writing about getting married, but it somehow slipped off my To Do list until something reminded me last week. A colleague who I don't see all that often (I work for a very large organisation) asked me for my email address, "because you've changed... Continue Reading →
Taboo Week: Fat bodies, uneven skin, and the courage to disrupt
The number of more positive articles on fat bodies is finally starting to increase, in the wake of the popularity of 'plus size' (ugh I hate that term) models like Ashley Graham, Audrey Ritchie and Tess Holliday. It seems like culture (and capitalism) has finally accepted that we're getting bigger, and that there's a lot... Continue Reading →
Taboo Week: What no one tells you about getting older
I haven't had a guest blogger week on Rarely Wears Lipstick since the days when I used to post regularly and wanted some content to schedule in before I went on holiday. At first I asked friends to write something, then I started to put callouts to my followers on social media. Every guest post... Continue Reading →
PSA: Your Body is Not Gross
On 13th March, Emerald Street sent out an email entitled "Your tampon can do WHAT?!" and, of course, I opened it right away. I'm not proud of myself for giving in to click bait, but I'm a big fan of the Emerald Street team. Via their daily emails, I've discovered so many fantastic restaurants, events,... Continue Reading →