I am a lipstick addict. I might have just one eyeshadow palette and the most basic kohl, but my lipstick box would be any collector’s pride. Earlier, I’d been crazy enough to spend around Rs 5,000 on a Dolce & Gabbana stick (just because) and wear blue lipstick, dressing up as Wednesday Addams, to the t2 party.
My most recent acquisition is a Kylie Lip Kit, which I bought at 4.30 one morning.
Truth be told, I didn’t care much for the kit. But when there were reports that the lip kit would sell out in less than 10 minutes every time it relaunched, I took it up as a challenge. I had to include the Kylie Lip Kit in my collection. And one had to go about it with hawk-eyed focus and doggedness.
Kylie Jenner, the youngest in the Kardashian-Jenner clan, shot to fame with her ‘magical’ lip transformation. The 18-year-old went from thin, lined lips to fuller bee-stung ones almost overnight. She called it a lip-liner trick, but the Internet murmured about a lip job. Nodding yes later, Kylie went the (elder sister) Kim way and cashed in on what made her controversial — starting her own lipstick line. The first set of lip kits sold out in less than a minute. Well, she’s certainly got her half-sister’s bizz brains!
Step 1: Following @kyliecosmetics on Instagram to find out the next release date, I turn on notifications and also stalk people who comment on pictures and provide deets. (I can, of course, get first-hand info on the official Kylie Jenner app but I am not yet ready for that kind of commitment). The next restock is scheduled on a Monday, 4pm PST. Which means 4.30am on Tuesday in India. Darn you, time zones!
Step 2: On said night/morning, I spring up to the shrill whistle of the alarm at 4.10am. With 20 minutes to the lipkit sale, I shuffle between the website which is updating the restocking and the Instagram page where a mini-countdown of sorts is on. I update stories on Snapchat.
Step 3: The clock strikes 4.30am, I refresh the page. They are still restocking. I am nail-biting nervous. A second refresh and I get through. I quickly include 22, a shade that looks like a burnt orange, in my cart. In the scramble, I enter my card number instead of name. More waste of time.
Step 4: They only accept credit cards. Still, I try entering my debit card number. Oh, why is it taking so long to move to the next step!
Step 5: Card declined. Noooooo!
But I don’t give up so easily and fill in all the details again, hoping the kit isn’t sold out yet. Suddenly my phone rings and a man with an accent says that someone has been trying to make an international transaction on my card.
“Yes, yes, that’s me!” I growl.
“But ma’am, your card doesn’t support international transactions.”
“Why on earth does it have ‘international debit card’ written on it then?”
“Ma’am, you need to activate it. Do you want me to do it? You can try again after 10 minutes and you’ll go through smoothly.”
“Listen up. I am ordering something that is distressingly limited edition. You activate it RIGHT NOW!”
“OK ma’am, I will pass it right now!”
Step 6: Success! A Kylie Lip Kit is mine. For around Rs 3,000. At 4.40am. I updated one last snap for the night. “Great success!” I exclaim. Time for some sweet, deep sleep.
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