I am not a Rite Aid kind of girl. Maybe it’s the less than favorable, surly characters I tend to see more of in there? Or the line/cashier set up? That for some ungodly reason has each cashier positioned at a slant! SLANTED!! It baffles me…truly. Whatever the laundry list of complaints, I usually avoid the Rite Aide at all costs. For me, it’s late night CVS all the way.
However, this method of direction does not always prove to be accommodating. Say for instance when you run out of your vitally favorite, everyday use – Burt’s Bees Moisturizer! And because of some despicable humans, every retailer within a five-mile radius is completely OUT OF STOCK! Cheekbones are reaching new highs of critical dryness and suddenly you have no choice! No choice but to brave the slanted checkout line in search of relief. And this is why I recently found myself entering…a Rite Aid Zone.
Upon arrival the boy and I split up to divide and conquer as quickly as possible. Skimming through the aisles, I began to hear the soft symbol/bongo drum beginning of a song. Playing over the store speakers was Freedom 90, by George Michael. “At least there’s that,” I thought. And just as the piano started to call out, my sneakers whistled to an abrupt stop. There. In a lone aisle side caddy was the complete Wet n’Wild collection. A collection I thought had been forsaken! After not seeing it at Target or Wal-Mart for months, I had just assumed it didn’t exist anymore. But there it stood, somewhere deep in the San Fernando Valley, tall and proud in the back of a Rite Aid convenience store.
My fingers glided through lipsticks past until settling on lip liners. “Thar she blooooooow,” I whispered aloud. Color Icon Lip Liner #666, or better known to some as, Brandywine. Now to fully appreciate the capacity and weight of the situation, I’d have to take you on a little trip. A trip down the halls of Santa Clara High School, back in the year good ol’ 1990-something. It was the era of Cindy Crawford and the birth of Supermodels. A heyday of big bangs, Bongo Jeans and Chola lip liner.
After school we raided the aisles of Long’s Drug Store across the street. We stocked up on cool: Revlon lipsticks, Maybelline’s classic pink and green Great Lash Mascara, and of course Wet n’ Wild cosmetics. Some girls wore Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rum Raisin or Iced Mocha. EVERY girl wore Toast of New York. And Colorstay! At the time, any brand of Colorstay lipstick was the new phenomena. But no other product shared quite the same popularity as Wet n’Wild’s #666 Lip liner. Famous for its light brandy cast but ubiquitous for its unfortunate serial number, we all wore it. Alternative, Hip-hop, Grunge or Prep (as much as one could be in a uniform)—whomever the makeup bag belonged to—it was there.
So you can imagine my elation at its discovery. Like uncovering a split second time capsule belonging to a period that feels to over-the-shoulder to be so far behind. Waiting to checkout, I clutched the soft pencil in my hand. Thinking back, I saw myself with a lighter, firing up my Maybelline Expert Eyes eyeliner in brown. Ending a perfect line, the red pencil with gold writing, still warm in my hand. Chris Cornell crooning in the back round, something about it being, “ an all night thing.” I reached down for lip liner #666…and the rest is history.
I felt this was a good little tale for the beginning of this blog. I often discount certain little details that really end up being important signposts. Breadcrumbs from my past, assuring me that there is a master plan. I’m on my path and its constantly unfolding. Welcome to the journey.
CONSENSUS:
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Somehow I remember this lip liner as being somewhat more of a frosty purple? Maybe I’m just old now. It’s definitely a very Brandy-Winey color. A light enough hue to wear alone under lip balm (shown above) or under any red, blue-ish red or purple tones. It does have a slight golden shimmer to it, which is nice. The gold also makes it a choice color for a wide variety of skin tones. Personally I think it’s a fabulous color for white girls. Once sharpened and warmed up (over the back of your hand) it distributes evenly and has the glide of a soft crayon. Measuring out to a lengthy 6 inches, you’ll get a long ride out of this pencil. At .99 cents, you can’t beat the value. Buy this bitch!
