Eleanor Thorne

Winter is always framed as something to be endured. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, we are told to brace ourselves, to fight off excess with deprivation. January comes dressed in diet culture, detoxes, and resolutions. Magazines tell us to slim down, cut out, pare back. Survival itself becomes the metaphor: endure the cold, outlast the snow, white-knuckle it until spring. What if winter is not a season of scarcity, but the most erotic time of year?

Red lipstick isn’t just a holiday accessory — it’s feminist armor. Every December, tubes of scarlet, crimson, and cherry-red migrate from vanities into handbags. The shade spikes in popularity around the holidays and again around Valentine’s Day, a bright slash of color against the monochrome of winter. But beneath the sparkle of party season, red lips carry a history: of rebellion, resilience, and unapologetic self-display.

I was reading a list recently about cities people are relocating to Raleigh, NC FROM – and that particular list did not include Austin Texas, and I was surprised. Upon further research, I found that Austin, Texas is indeed a significant source of new residents moving to Raleigh, NC. While it may not always appear in the top five lists, Austin consistently ranks among the top cities contributing to Raleigh’s population growth, according to Allied Van Lines.