Hello, world! It’s ME and I am finally ready to release the side of me that I kept hidden behind my pseudonym Red Lipstick! This book, my book, was a gift to myself, but now I hope it will be your gift!
On December 2, 2015, “Table for ONE Please” was released into the world under the pen name “Red Lipstick.” I wanted to give a voice to all women out there who felt they weren’t good enough and struggled by being seen purely for their status, “single.” Single women should not be viewed as an imperfection, but rather as something to be valued. I created this alias because I wanted to keep a part of me hidden since I shared so much of myself in my book. Plus, I wore red lipstick when I went out on my dates so I thought it was fitting as it gave me extra confidence. The self-publication of my book truly was one of my greatest accomplishments but as time went on I felt it was hard to relate to this “Red Lipstick” image I created.
Flash forward to 2018, when I decided I needed to re-vamp my “Red Lipstick” image and relaunch “Table for ONE Please” the way I wanted it. As I started to re-read I realized that I wasn’t the same person I was when I originally wrote it. Heck, if you put her in front of me I wouldn’t even know who in the world she was! I have learned to use those experiences to become the best version of myself. When I re-read my book, I shook my head and thought, “Who is that person? Why would you let a man do that to you and why not speak up?” Even take how social media has changed! I wrote this book at the start of hashtags and now hashtags are life! Point being, I needed to go through those lessons for a reason and I finally found that reason.
You are probably wondering “how come no more Red Lipstick?” Well, why don’t I tell you! While attending a conference in New Jersey, a woman asked me what I do. As I began to talk about myself, it hit me out of nowhere – I created the pseudonym Red Lipstick because I wasn’t ready to share my full self with the world and frankly, I was too scared of what people would think of me! Ashamed of another damn label when in reality I needed the “Red Lipstick” name to fully develop into the woman who stands here today!
Which brings us to August of 2018 and my proudest moment as I am ready to reveal that I am Amanda Fantastic – a fierce, strong, determined woman and I know that I can change the world with my voice! I am 31 years young living my best possible life! I wake up every day knowing that I control my own destiny and that the sky is not the limit – there are no limits when you believe in yourself! “Table for ONE Please” is the sole reason I became a self-love advocate and I believe this book can make you love yourself, too! For all of you still wondering, yes, I am still single! 10 years going strong with the best relationship of all, myself! My book is my gift to you and I want you to understand that you are not defined by your status, you are defined by YOU!
...I am a woman from Long Island, NY, and this is my journey that led me to become Amanda Fantastic!
