Cherry Lip Lolita

Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of a tounge taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo.Lee.Ta

I am not a fan of films but was very interested to watch the 1997 adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, the famous story of the relationship between nymphet 12yr old Dolores and her stepfather. I love the book and am usually a real snobby cynic about novel to film adaptations but I have no complaints about this one. The hysteria and twisted inner workings of Humbert Humber (Jeremy Irons) are beautifully present.

I imagine that the earlier Stanley Kubrick is perhaps a more sordid portrayal with dramtic direction, however this 1997 version had great merit for me as it was in colour and allowed me to fall in love with Lolita/Dolores' freshed face teenage beauty.

In the film Dolores is constantly shown slathering on a red twist up lipstick. It is a grown up paint on a young palette but somehow only increases her youth and supposed innocence. The way she applies it with such reckless abandon gives a natural flushed effect rather than a false painted smile. Combined with braids and baby soft sun rippled skin it is playful yet coy look.

MAC are currently plugging winter reds with new jewelled collections in tempting rouge hues. They are championing 50s glamour rather than smudgey teenage rebellion however the model does have a youthful air of lolita about her.

Right now I cannot afford a loaf of breaf so I will not be partaking in MAC's latest offerings, but I shall definately be digging out some old tubes of red lippy, abonding the lip brush and trying a Lolita inspired look. I get ID'd daily anyway, so I might as well indulge in my child's face. Heck I might even plait my hair into the cross braids, I know that the doorman at Freedom in Soho (a constant ID fiend even though he knows me now) would find it quite bemusing on checking my driving licence to find that I am actually officially an adult if I rolled up looking like 12yr old Dolores Lolita child.