Column: Bugs are in our lipstick

With the arrival of fall, I started thinking about investing in a good red lipstick.

There is something about cool weather that makes a bold lip look less out of place.

As I was looking into new color trends, I remembered something my roommate told me.

I am not sure how many people know what carmine is, but it is a natural color derived from a beetle that’s notably used in red food dye.

 This was the dye my roommate told me was in well-known lipstick brands like MAC and Yves Saint Laurent.

I remember her looking at her $35 lipstick as two looks passed through her features.

First — disgust.

The idea of rubbing a cream filled with bug juice on your mouth is a bit disturbing.

The second look on her face was one of acceptance.

She gave in and put the tube back into her makeup drawer.

Carmine is used because it has one of the highest levels of pigment that can be achieved naturally. 

People are paying for quality, and if bugs lend the highest quality, so be it.

Despite the fact that I acknowledge this, I have to wonder about a few things.

I’m curious if there is any other way to accomplish this color without having to resort to using bug-derived ingredients.

Call me a wimp, but that idea still grosses me out, no matter how much I try to justify it in my head.

Now, all that is left is for me to keep a closer eye on my makeup ingredients.
 
Or I can turn a blind eye and pretend I never heard my roommate tell me that fact.

Somehow, despite that little piece of information, I have a feeling there is much worse hiding in my fridge than in my makeup drawer.

­— audperki@indiana.edu

Follow columnist Audrey Perkins on Twitter @AudreyNLP.