Lip Schtick

Elle Woods would love theBalm founder Marissa Shipman. The 34-year-old San Francisco-based animal lover started her cosmetics company five years ago with birthday money she invested in the stock market and potions she cooked up in her kitchen. Though she’s long been a self-described “gloss girl,” this spring, she’s adding lipsticks to the lineup. “I haven’t had the desire to wear one until the last couple of months,” she says. “But all of a sudden, I wanted a lipstick.”

Dubbed “Read My Lips,” the collection, packaged in newsprint-covered tubes, includes colors like Gossip (a sheer pink), Wanted (a wearable red) and Classified (a nude). “These are for girls who are up on their current events,” she says. “They can hold a conversation but they can also go to a fabulous party and look great.” Though we’re not sure the lipsticks will inspire anyone to pick up The New York Times, we applaud the sentiment.