The $25 Lipstick That Changed How I Shop

When Something Is Worth the Splurge

Do you remember when MAC makeup first came on the scene? Their boutique in the West Village always had a line out the door. I can still remember waiting almost 20 minutes just to step inside, and once I did, I was mesmerized by the rows of lipsticks and glosses shining like candy.

Up until that moment, I was a CVS lipstick girl. A tube of Revlon or Maybelline red was all I thought I’d ever want in life. But walking into that MAC store was like opening Pandora’s box.

Like many stories, this is a love story. I fell head over heels for a lipstick called Diva. Back then, that silky matte tube was $25—a small fortune to me at the time. Did I need it? Not really. That $25 was basically my Monday-through-Friday lunch (a slice of pizza and a Snapple). But I had to have it.

I’ll never forget the first time I wore it. A coworker stopped me:
“What lipstick is that?” she asked.
“MAC. Diva. Twenty-five dollars.”

She almost choked. But I didn’t care. Every time I applied that lipstick, it felt like butter on my lips and gave me a confidence I couldn’t put a price tag on. A week later, she bought it too—after admitting she’d already spent nearly $20 trying to cobble together a “dupe” from drugstore brands. In the end, she gave in. Diva had her under its spell as well.

That was the first time I realized something important: we all have a line when it comes to what we’re willing to spend. Most of the time, we stay on the practical side of it, happy with things that simply “meet the bar.” But every once in a while, something comes along that we just can’t ignore.

The $600 boots.
The purse that costs as much as a month’s rent.
A bar of soap so luxurious it makes your whole bathroom feel like a spa.

And the funny thing? Those are the items we love the most. They outlast all the bargain versions. They carry a story, a memory, a feeling. They’re worth every penny.

That’s exactly how I think about K. Becker Designs. I approach my clothes the way MAC approached that perfect shade of Diva: with care, precision, and an obsession with getting it just right. The fit, the fabric, the craftsmanship, the way it works with the rest of your closet—these things aren’t extras, they’re everything.

Just like my beloved lipstick, my designs are meant to be the pieces you reach for again and again. Because sometimes, it’s not about what you need.

It’s about knowing it’s worth it.