Lipstick by Amanda Mason

I used to love shopping, you know? When I was a girl, we’d go out, my mates and me, and we’d spend hours – hours – trying out lipsticks. Sixteen years old and we knew it all: the right angle, the exact shade to pick. You know how it is at that age, don’t you? It’s all yours and you’re fearless, with all the time in the world. Daft, really.

Now. Now I look like my Mum, God love her. Oh, I’ve kept up. I look good – for my age. You just need the right products, that’s all – hydrating, anti-ageing, filler, concealer, serum – as if ageing is a disease. As if there’s a cure. If that girl could see me now, making such an effort just to…pass. And it’s not cheap either, the prices these days. I do love a good lipstick though, I always have. A good dark red, rich and strong. Because I am not going bloody quietly. We knew it all: the right pose, the right angle, the exact moment to drop a lipstick into your bag. It was all part of the fun. It still is, to be honest. Because I am not going bloody quietly.

Amanda Mason is a graduate of Dartington College of Arts, where she studied Theatre and

began writing by devising and directing her own plays. After a few years of earning a very

irregular living in lots of odd jobs, including performing in a comedy street magic act, she

became a teacher and has worked in the UK, Italy, Spain and Germany.

She now lives in York and writes plays, flash fiction and short stories. She is currently

working on her first novel.

You can follow her on Twitter @amandajanemason

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