I was in the bathroom wielding a stick of incarnadine Tom Ford. My boyfriend was waiting (im)patiently in the living room, as boyfriends do. I emerged minutes later as a more brightly coloured version of myself. Boyfriend did a double-take and looked visibly shocked.
This was not the response I’d been gunning for.
Admittedly I hadn’t worn lipstick (or much makeup at all, for that matter) in ages. “Don’t like it?” I asked. He considered his words carefully as he spoke. He’s a darling like that. “You look beautiful,” he said, “of course. It’s just that I prefer you without makeup.