Courtesy of Amelia Heppner
- Amelia Heppner worked in restaurants for almost a decade.
- When she started wearing red lipstick, she said her tips from men significantly increased.
- Her "high school cheerleader" look might've drew men to her, which was gross, Heppner says.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Amelia Heppner, a 32-year-old former server and bartender in San Francisco, California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I worked in restaurants for almost a decade as a bartender, server, and manager. In the first few weeks of my first job an older waitress gave me a tip that changed the rest of my serving-industry life. She told me that wearing red lipstick when I was working would increase my tips.
I didn't think about it for a while because I wasn't a makeup person but eventually I decided to give it a try.