The XX Factor: What women really think.

Lipstick Level

The Washington Post's Ylan Mui writes on the new American trend of "insourcing." This means, basically, do for yourself what others used to do for you. Apparently, people are pulling up their own weeds, dyeing their own hair, grooming their own Portugese water dogs, changing their own car headlights, baking their own birthday cakes, asking the manicurist to cut nails extra short to increase time between visits. One woman Mui quotes even tried dyeing a dress, to make it seem new! Stores, meanwhile, are reporting increased sales of sewing kits, car filters, and herb garden starters. I keep the XX lipstick level at 40. Until we are actually, you know, growing potatoes, or biting our own nails off, we're not yet desperate.

In the meantime, readers who are attempting their own creative insourcing, please send me ideas: hannawrosin@gmail.com.