Before I came to work for Paula, I spent several years working for various cosmetic companies, usually at the department store. For the most part, I enjoyed it. I taught myself how to do makeup, and developed a loyal clientele of regulars who requested my advice on what to purchase or how to apply it. But whether I worked at stores in the Midwest, south, or northwest United States, one thing was constant: women shopping for a new lipstick routinely gravitated toward colors that were similar if not nearly identical to what was already in their purse or on their vanities.

Here’s how the average scenario went: a woman approaches the counter with determined gusto and surveys the lipstick tester unit. I greet her and offer assistance, to which her response is that she’s “looking for a new color”. After a few questions to narrow down her preferences (creamy, matte, sheer, bright or muted colors, etc.) I make some suggestions. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn’t. After some frustrating experiences, I began asking women to show me the lipstick they use most often. It was almost always a pink-brown shade or a nude color. That’s fine, but then why, if you’re shopping for a new color, did they end up choosing something barely different from what they routinely wear?

I’d suggest going lighter, darker, more shimmery, pinker, or even (horrors!) trying a red tone, almost always to no avail. I have spoken to many women about this over the years, including those in my family and personal friends. None of them could give me a reasonable explanation for why they shop for a new lipstick color and end up purchasing the same type of shade they’ve always worn. So I have my own theory: the novelty and excitement of shopping for a new lipstick, that one shade that will give you an added boost and make people take notice (for the better) is just too irresistible. It gets women to the cosmetic counter, but when it comes time to select a truly new color, they back down and stick with what’s safe.

Perhaps they don’t want to leave feeling they’ve wasted their money (nowadays a department store lipstick can set you back $23 or more) or perhaps common sense prevails and they rationalize that what they chose is different enough to work, and hey, they really will wear it. Maybe that’s why free gifts with purchase are so popular: women can spend the qualifying amount on a product they’re certain they like and will use, yet still have the impetuous fun of trying new colors without the financial commitment. As for me, I learned that if I only suggested “new” colors that were slightly different than what the customer typically wore, she’d leave happy—and I’d have my commission and, more than likely, a repeat customer!

Did You Know? According to a survey conducted by Estee Lauder, more than 80% of women own at least one tube of lipstick; Women over the age of 35 use lipstick more frequently than younger women; Paula’s favorite cosmetic lines for those looking for gorgeous red lipsticks include Revlon, Lorac, Vincent Longo, and Trish McEvoy.