Cool Things About Being a Girl, pt. 1

I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but I am one of those girls that complains (particularly during my time of the month) about how being a girl is so goddamn difficult. I’m jealous that dudes can pee standing up and that they don’t have to wear make-up everyday. But it’s not like girls don’t get a few perks too.

Example: red lipstick.

I don’t know if there’s a more recognized icon of contemporary femininity than bright red lips. They’re saucy and fun, and something boys don’t have.

Guys see red lipstick as sexy. I see red lipstick as confident.

I honestly don’t know very many women that wear red on their lips. They usually stick with the safer and more subtle shades of pink. Red stands out. It attracts attention. And that’s why it requires a certain confidence to wear it. Red lipstick comes with an attitude – something like “I am woman; hear me roar” in a very good way.

I couldn’t live without my two go-to reds: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red, and Covergirl Lipperfection in Hot. So, unleash your inner lady and don’t forget the lip liner.

5 Terrifying Things From My Childhood

I like to think I was a pretty normal kid. But I had some pretty irrational fears (blame it on Are You Afraid of the Dark if you want), and some of them have stuck around. And I really hope I’m not alone on some of these.

 

Top 5 Literary Heroines

To commemorate my first (newly focused) post, here’s a top 5 list. (Because I love lists.)

tLRB’s Top 5 Literary Heroines

5. Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis)
She’s not fictional, but Satrapi’s graphic memoir achieves what even some novels struggle to do. She reveals her own very real flaws, but the reader never ceases to cheer for her.

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4. Jean Grey (Uncanny X-Men)
Jeanie is both the most open and mysterious character of the X-Men. Initially the only female, she proves to be the brains behind the team. Jeanie is caring, almost to a fault. Except for that one time she almost destroyed the earth. You want to know more, don’t you? (And yes, I consider comics an overlooked subset of literature.)

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3. Elizabeth Bennet (Pride & Prejudice)
Do I really need to explain this one? Jane Austen’s most famous character is on so many lists. And for good reason. Strong-willed, honest, and intelligent, Lizzie is what most women wish they could be.

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2. Scarlett O’Hara Wilkes Kennedy Butler (Gone with the Wind)
She’s bratty, cold, and greedy, but Margaret Mitchell’s infamous heroine continues to captivate. Scarlett does terrible things, but for the best of reasons. She is perhaps the strongest heroine written in the last century.

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1. Nancy Drew (too many books to list)
I wanted to be Nancy when I was growing up. And I still do. She’s unapologetically curious and brave – never letting anyone tell her no, just because she’s young and female. She may be the product of an mass-production scheme, but somehow, she has more life than most female characters of the 30s. There’s a reason that Nancy is now the star of over 25 video games, at least 5 movies, and hundreds of books.

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Images from: marksarvas.blogs.com, MarvUnApp, Newsarama, Fanpop, and FredFlare.