Lipstick

"This lipstick (and the collection) resonates with me on a number of levels: it reminds me of my Mother, who never left the house without it - to the end of her days. Early photos show she wore lipstick everywhere and I remember her using the end of a matchstick to get the very last bit out of the tube. It was her staple. It reminds me of what 1930s-1950s Ireland must have been like, when the iconic actresses in Hollywood drew in people like my Mom to the cinema to see the latest film, and when going to the 'pictures' or 'the flicks' in the Lido in Cork was where you met the girls, wearing your lipstick, as it symbolised glamour and sophistication and you came out feeling like a million dollars having watched Lauren Bacall uttering those words: 'you put your lips together and just blow'. Mom would talk about bartering 'fags' or 'ciggies' for a lipstick when she ran out so she had it to wear when going to 'the dance' on a Saturday night to meet the boys. To me it is also indicative of the flourishing and growing cosmetic industry - like the Max Factor lipstick in the image, a fashion accessory then as it is now."