Pink was never my thing. It was always too girly for me. Growing up with two brothers and spending a lot of time with my dad, I tend to lean more on the tomboy side, slighting this color tone all these years.
Generally speaking, my style is easy, breezy. I don't fuss much about my hair. I hardly ever wear make-up. I often dress down. Just to drive the point home, my gym clothes, for a long time, consisted of a pair of long fleece shorts from the 7th grade, unwanted tees of varying sizes, white crew socks, and an old pair of New Balance trainers. You could imagine how popular a subject for jokes I was for my brothers and cousins. That's not to say I don't indulge in fashion because my line of credit sure knows that ain't the truth, but I also appreciate pragmatism and in some ways, I've always thought of pink as anti-pragmatic. That is, until a few months ago.
Hiking in the remote highlands of Ecuador, there was a girl who, despite being in the middle of nowhere, managed to bring her make-up kit and nail polish. I found it absurd, yet inspiring all the same, and it seeded in my mind this idea to buy some lipstick the next chance I got. It couldn't be just any color either. It had to be pink. It was so unlike me that I was almost embarrassed to say it out loud, astonished by my own determination.
Weeks passed and I finally found some lipstick in Uruguay. Coyly, I went for Electric Pink. First applied, it seemed strange and silly, but with time, it grew on me. Recently asked what is my favorite color, I hesitated between neutrals - gray, black, blue - but pointedly, made sure to mention my new appreciation for pink.
