# Cosmetics Q for teenage girls **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955 "2003-01-16T12:45:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/1 "2003-01-16T12:45:09Z")
Those of you in high school right now: are you and your peers more likely to use lip **stick** or lip **gloss** (story research; trying to make this thing as 2003-specific as possible)? Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Mith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mith)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/2 "2003-01-16T12:57:28Z")
i think it’s character specific. besides, highschool students can be 14-18. Wide range. get more specific on who you are talking about. is she a flirt? ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/3 "2003-01-16T13:29:50Z")
Lip gloss. I think. Yup! (I just verified with my teenage-too-cool-for-words little sister) ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/4 "2003-01-16T13:41:15Z")
lipgloss. or at least that’s what the 14 y/o sister asked me to buy her for xmas. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/5 "2003-01-16T13:47:41Z")
My 17 y/o wear lip gloss. I don’t think she owns a lipstick. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/6 "2003-01-16T13:52:30Z")
**Rilchiam** …you might get excellent results posting this over at the forums at [SheroesCentral](http://www.sheroescentral.com). It’s mostly populated by teenage girls (though there are a few older ones - I’m one, and I act as a “voice of reason” over there"…don’t ask how I ended up there, really). Or, if you want, I can post your question and give you a link to the thread so you can see it. Let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/7 "2003-01-16T14:12:25Z")
The character is in 8th grade. She’s not part of the “in” crowd, so using stick instead of gloss would be something to set her apart. **Lsura** , that would be much appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/8 "2003-01-16T14:17:06Z")
[Here ya go](http://www.sheroescentral.com/dcforum/DCForumID17/1553.html) Hopefully you’ll get the info you need. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Vixenation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/278dde/32.png) [@Vixenation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vixenation)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/9 "2003-01-16T14:52:26Z")
Since I was 14, I’ve used lipstick, lip gloss, glossy lipsticks, matte lipsticks, lip balm, etc. on a steady basis, depending on what kind of setting I’m in, and I was part of the in crowd (I don’t know if that’s relevant or not). But then again, I’ve been doing make-up professionally (read: for money, not like a certified MAC artist or anything) since I was that age and knew more about it than the average girl. For today’s eighth grader, I would suggest lip gloss. It’s less drastic looking than most lipsticks, cuter, and seems to be the choice of the general young teen consensus as best lip product. ---
**Author:** ![agentfroot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@agentfroot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/agentfroot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/10 "2003-01-16T17:04:41Z")
My 13-year-old sister wears lip gloss, which seems to be all the rage. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/11 "2003-01-16T18:39:04Z")
Actually, stick would set her apart more than anything else. Almost everyone I know wears gloss or nothing at all. I’m a strictly lip balm girl, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/12 "2003-01-17T02:28:43Z")
Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![zepchick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/858c86/32.png) [@zepchick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zepchick)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/13 "2003-01-17T04:02:08Z")
I’m 17 and I only wear lip gloss. I asked a freshman in my art class what she wears and she said “I only wear lip gloss because guys don’t like to make out with girls with lipstick on…they say it tastes like crap.” I weep for today’s youth. ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/14 "2003-01-17T04:57:27Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of my students use a lipstick. They seem to prefer a lipgloss/eyeliner combo ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/15 "2003-01-17T05:18:56Z")
I use lipstick and then I apply a coat of gloss for good measure. In 8th grade, I just used chapstick. The Dr. Pepper Smackers was my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/16 "2003-01-17T06:27:01Z")
Well, I’m gonna have my character wear lipstick. And for emphasis, I’ll have her boyfriend say (unprompted), “I’m glad you don’t wear lip gloss; I don’t wanna kiss an oil slick, even if it is strawberry-mango-kiwi-French vanilla flavored!” ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/17 "2003-01-19T02:29:02Z")
LipGLOSS. Lipstick makes me look whoreish. ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/18 "2003-01-19T02:42:42Z")
I was class of '99, and I wore lipstick. Also lip liner, concealer, foundation, powder, eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara. I wasn’t part of the in-crowd, I just had pimples that I was desperate to cover. I was pretty good at it, too. Now I have three kids and I’m lucky if I have time to shower. ---
**Author:** ![HerMajestyLorna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7cd45c/32.png) [@HerMajestyLorna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HerMajestyLorna)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/19 "2003-01-19T15:58:34Z")
Definitely its lip gloss around here. No one wears lipstick–it’s too much, I think. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmetics-q-for-teenage-girls/148955/20 "2003-01-19T22:03:24Z")
**Tinted gloss** is the way to go. It gives you a little bit of delicate colour. You can apply and re-apply often without having it cake, you can put it on without a mirror, and you don’t have to worry too much about the shade because it’s so sheer, it can’t possibly make you look whorish/overly pale (think Geisha). All of this is great, especially if you’re on the go all day.