When I was little, there were three things that defined being all grown up:
Lipstick, high heels, and lots of keys.
The lipstick is like a drug. The smell is intoxicating, so soft and warm, the scent is smooth and ladylike. I am not ready to go out the door without a precise swipe of lipstick, brightening up my face and outfit. If I'm having a bad hairday lipstick makes it look like a fashion statement, I call it runway hair, unruly but with a done up face, fashionable.
Only ladies know how to glide in high heels. Sure anyone can slip on a pair, but clunking down the street in an awkward balancing waddle is no way to go. The women who wear the really pretty Italian heels can sweep across the floor without missing a step, run down the street to get out of the rain, and look smashing all day, but never ever complain publicly about the pain they may endure.
As a little girl I remember all adults had lots of keys on their keyring. House, car, shed, work, storage, it's all so glamorous. Gradually from my mid teens my keyring has become more and more crowded, I'd love to have a reason to carry a skeleton key.
So there you go. I wear lipstick from morning to night, heels as best I can, and have lots of keys in my purse. What a grown up I am.
