The perfect lip gloss: A lifetime’s search has ended

I used to love makeup. I literally wouldn’t leave the house without spending at least 30 minutes working on my face. Then I got depressed, and I didn’t even care if I had taken a shower in the past two days on those few occasions I actually went out the door. Some positives did pop up in my life as a result of those dark times. Among the top 10: I got over my obsession with looking perfect.

I still like makeup. I don’t always wear it now, but I enjoy enhancing a feature here or there because I feel more pulled together when I don’t go bare-faced. Unfortunately, I have a new obsession: all the chemicals percolating through most widely accessible makeup products.

I know, many women use these products, so common wisdom is that they must be OK. But a few centuries back, everybody wore makeup composed primarily of arsenic, and that did NOT turn out OK. (One day I read the package of this product you’re supposed to paint on your lips to make your lipstick last longer, and it said that I shouldn’t ingest the stuff. Hmmm, put it on my lips, which happen to be a hairsbreadth away from my mouth, and then try very hard not to swallow all day long.)

Yes, natural and organic brands of make-up are on the uptick, but I have had trouble finding an inexpensive, long-wearing lip gloss that provides a nice hint of color rather than the gloppy, oily, too slick-shiny, sticky, or oddly colored glosses that dominate the natural market. These glosses just don’t look or feel right on the over-30 adult female who is a working professional, a mother, or both.

But not to worry: I have found my holy grail of lip glosses. Sienna Peppermint Hemp Lip Balm from Faerie Made, a woman-owned small business based in Asheville. Here’s why I’m ecstatic:

• The Sienna color is dark in the tube, but when you put it on, you have sheer, discreetly dressed-up color. Tiny flecks of mica provide a glow rather than a heavy-duty gloss. This shade looks beautiful on just about every skin tone. It flatters me, my 69-year-old mother, my best friend, etc.
• While it’s called Hemp Lip Balm, it actually has a mix of oils and butters, resulting in a moisturizing gloss that feels luxurious but natural and not overdone.
• It’s infused with peppermint essential oil, so you have a faint scent and a nice tingle on your lips when you put it on — very refreshing.
• Last but far from least, it’s cheap: $3.50 for a .15-ounce tube, or $9 for three tubes.