Have you noticed how often women in leadership roles are carrying pressure that doesn’t come from the work itself, but from the way they feel they need to show up while doing it?

Getting things right. Choosing words carefully. Holding back just enough to stay credible, likeable, professional.

It’s rarely conscious, but it’s constant.

Over time, that striving can start to feel normal. Perfection becomes a kind of safety net. It takes energy, pulls attention inward and quietly erodes presence.

We love lipsticks and lipstick is a useful metaphor here. Not as image. Not as confidence. But as choice. Some days it’s bold. Some days it’s barely there. But it’s always intentional. It’s about how we enter the room.