Lip Gloss Symbol Analysis in Chlorine Sky

The Literal Object and Its Worldly Weight

Lip gloss in Chlorine Sky is a small, inexpensive cosmetic—the narrator specifies it comes from the neighborhood CVS—but it carries outsized meaning in the friendship between the narrator and Lay Li. On the surface, it is a shiny, tinted balm meant to make lips look fuller and more attractive. In the world of the novel, it is also a marker of girlhood, of performing beauty, and of the unspoken rules that govern who gets to be seen and who gets to be ignored. The narrator does not naturally reach for lip gloss; she is more at home on a basketball court, in shorts and a tank top, where her skill and trash talk define her. Lip gloss, by contrast, belongs to Lay Li’s world of mirrors, pouts, and careful self-presentation. That contrast makes the object a perfect lens for examining the power struggles and identity questions at the heart of the story.

Where Lip Gloss Appears

Lip gloss recurs at three key moments in the novel, each time revealing something about the characters and their relationship.

Chapter 15 – “Lay Li Laughs”

When Lay Li comes over to the narrator’s house, she immediately takes charge of the space. She squints into a mirror, pouts, applies extra lipstick, and then “takes my lip gloss as backup just in case.” The act is casual, almost automatic, but it is also a small theft. Lay Li does not ask; she simply assumes the narrator’s belongings are hers to use. This moment occurs right after Lay Li calls the narrator’s house “boring,” a comment that stings even though Lay Li insists she meant nothing by it. The lip gloss becomes part of Lay Li’s performance of indifference and superiority—she is the one who gets to decide what is boring, what is worth her attention, and what she will take.

Chapter 16 – “I Move”

The narrator tries to reclaim her lip gloss and her pride. She reaches for the gloss, but Lay Li holds it above both their heads, swinging it in a helicopter motion, giggling at the narrator’s futile attempts to grab it. The narrator does not smile, which only makes Lay Li laugh harder. Eventually Lay Li tosses the gloss back, but not before dialing the phone with “one last perfect pink nail” that matches Essa’s nail color. The narrator then applies the sheen while Lay Li watches with “boring eyes,” and the narrator feels “like an impostor.” This scene is the emotional core of the symbol: the lip gloss is not just a cosmetic; it is a prop in a game of dominance. Lay Li’s teasing is playful on the surface, but it reinforces the power imbalance between them. The narrator’s attempt to take it back is an attempt to assert her own worth, but she fails to feel authentic even when she succeeds.

Chapter 53 – “Lay Li Says Google Makes”

Lay Li’s advice on how to make a boy fall in deep like is centered on lip gloss: “Focus on your lip gloss / Always apply a second coat / Touch his arm whenever you can.” Here, lip gloss is presented as a tool of attraction, a necessary step in a formula for winning male attention. Lay Li’s worldview is transactional—beauty is a strategy, and lip gloss is a weapon. The narrator, who is listening to this advice, is being taught that her value as a girl depends on her ability to perform this kind of femininity. The advice also includes instructions on how to fight sadness: buy something small, laugh loud in front of enemies, and never write about your feelings. Lip gloss fits into this larger philosophy of surface-level coping—cover up, shine, and don’t let anyone see the cracks.

How the Symbol’s Meaning Shifts

Across these three appearances, lip gloss moves from a casual accessory to a contested object to a symbol of a worldview the narrator is trying to resist.

In chapter 15, lip gloss is simply something Lay Li takes for granted. It is part of her routine, like extra lipstick or a mirror. The narrator does not object at that moment; she is still in the pattern of forgiving Lay Li, of letting her friend’s casual cruelty slide. The gloss is a background detail, but it already hints at the imbalance: Lay Li takes, the narrator gives.

In chapter 16, the gloss becomes a site of struggle. The narrator’s explicit goal is to take back “my lip gloss & my pride.” The two are linked—the object and the feeling are inseparable. Lay Li’s refusal to hand it over is a refusal to acknowledge the narrator’s right to her own things, her own identity. When the narrator finally gets it back and applies it, she feels like an impostor because she is trying on a version of herself that does not fit. The gloss is not hers in a deeper sense; it belongs to the world of Lay Li, of perfect pink nails and bored eyes. The narrator’s discomfort is not about the gloss itself but about what it represents: the pressure to perform a kind of femininity that feels foreign to her.

By chapter 53, lip gloss has become a doctrine. Lay Li’s advice treats it as a necessary step in a romantic strategy, and the narrator is the student. The advice is presented as “Google makes everything perfect,” a sarcastic nod to the idea that there is a correct answer to how to be a girl. Lip gloss is part of that answer. But the narrator’s own experience in chapter 16 suggests that following this formula does not bring her closer to herself—it makes her feel like a fraud. The symbol thus carries a double edge: it is both a tool of empowerment (for Lay Li) and a source of alienation (for the narrator).

Character and Theme Connections

Lay Li uses lip gloss as part of her carefully constructed image. She is described as “the sun” in chapter 4, and she keeps the narrator as her shadow. Lip gloss is one of the ways she maintains that brightness—it is a small, shiny object that draws attention to her lips, her smile, her face. It also gives her a sense of control. In chapter 16, she dangles the gloss above the narrator’s head, enjoying the power she holds. Lay Li’s advice in chapter 53 reveals that she sees lip gloss as a practical tool for getting what she wants—specifically, male attention. Her own history (her mother left, she raised her sisters, she was held back in school) suggests that she has learned to rely on surface-level strategies to survive. Lip gloss is part of that survival kit.

The narrator is defined by her athleticism and her voice on the court. She is comfortable in her supporting role, as she says in chapter 17, and she dreams of the WNBA. Lip gloss is not her natural accessory. When she tries to use it, she feels like an impostor. This conflict is central to her journey: she is torn between the world of basketball, where she is confident and skilled, and the world of girlhood as defined by Lay Li, where she is supposed to care about lip gloss and boys. The narrator’s discomfort with the gloss is not a rejection of femininity per se, but a rejection of the idea that femininity must be performed in a certain way.

Essa appears briefly in chapter 16 through the detail of Lay Li’s nail polish matching Essa’s. Essa is another character who seems to belong to Lay Li’s world of polished appearances. The narrator notices the match but says nothing, which suggests that she is aware of the social codes but does not fully participate in them.

The symbol of lip gloss connects directly to several major themes in the novel:

• The destructive power of a one-sided friendship: Lay Li takes the narrator’s gloss without asking, teases her with it, and only returns it after the narrator’s frustration becomes visible. This pattern mirrors the larger dynamic of their friendship, where Lay Li takes emotional support and loyalty while giving little back. The narrator’s attempt to reclaim the gloss is a small act of resistance against that imbalance.

• Double standards faced by a young Black female athlete: The narrator is judged for being “black, ugly, and stupid” by Curtis, and she is expected to be both a good athlete and a conventionally attractive girl. Lip gloss represents the latter expectation. The narrator’s discomfort with it highlights the impossible standard she faces: she must be tough on the court but soft and shiny off it.

• The struggle to be seen and take up space: In chapter 98, the narrator declares that she is “not forgettable” and that she deserves to take up space. Lip gloss is a tool that Lay Li uses to be seen, but for the narrator, it does not work—it makes her feel invisible in a different way, like an impostor. Her eventual reclaiming of her own identity involves moving beyond such props and finding her own way to shine.

• The role of rumors and truth: While lip gloss is not directly tied to rumors, Lay Li’s advice to “laugh loud in front of your enemies” and “don’t leave evidence of the sads” suggests a culture of hiding one’s true feelings. Lip gloss is part of that surface-level performance, which the narrator ultimately rejects in favor of honesty and self-acceptance.

Study Questions

1. How does the narrator’s attempt to reclaim her lip gloss in chapter 16 reflect her larger struggle for self-worth?

Answer: The narrator explicitly links the lip gloss to her pride. When Lay Li holds it out of reach, the narrator’s frustration grows, but she does not smile or laugh along. Her refusal to play along is a small act of defiance. However, when she finally gets the gloss back and applies it, she feels like an impostor. This shows that simply taking back the object does not solve the deeper problem: she is still trying to fit into a version of herself that does not feel authentic. The struggle is not about the gloss itself but about her right to define her own worth.

1. What does Lay Li’s advice in chapter 53 reveal about her views on beauty and relationships?

Answer: Lay Li’s advice treats lip gloss as a necessary tool for attracting a boy. She instructs the listener to focus on lip gloss, apply a second coat, and touch the boy’s arm. This reveals a transactional view of relationships: beauty is a strategy, and a girl’s value is tied to her ability to perform it. Her advice also includes ways to fight sadness that involve surface-level distractions—buying small items, laughing loud, and never writing about feelings. This suggests that Lay Li believes in suppressing vulnerability and projecting confidence, even if it is not genuine.

1. Why does the narrator feel like an impostor when she applies the lip gloss in chapter 16?

Answer: The narrator is not comfortable with the kind of femininity that lip gloss represents. She is more at home on the basketball court, where her skill and voice define her. When she applies the gloss, she is trying on a role that does not fit her natural identity. Lay Li watches her with “boring eyes,” reinforcing the sense that the narrator is performing for an audience that is not impressed. The impostor feeling comes from the gap between who she is and who she thinks she is supposed to be.

1. How does the symbol of lip gloss connect to the theme of double standards for young Black female athletes?

Answer: The narrator is a talented basketball player who is often judged for her appearance. Curtis calls her “black, ugly, and stupid,” and Lay Li’s world values glossy lips and perfect nails. Lip gloss represents the pressure to conform to conventional beauty standards, which are often at odds with the toughness and athleticism required on the court. The narrator’s discomfort with lip gloss highlights the impossible expectation that she be both a fierce competitor and a conventionally attractive girl. Her eventual rejection of that pressure is part of her journey toward self-acceptance.

A Symbol of Reclamation

By the end of the novel, the narrator does not need lip gloss to feel seen. In chapter 98, she declares that she is not forgettable and that she can plant her feet on the blacktop and imagine a perfect swish. She sees herself dancing like a girl at homecoming or alone in a mirror, and she likes what she sees. That vision does not include lip gloss. The symbol has shifted from a tool of Lay Li’s control to a marker of the narrator’s growth. She learns that her worth is not determined by how she looks in a mirror, but by how she shows up for herself and her team. Lip gloss, once a source of conflict and impostor feelings, becomes a relic of a friendship and a worldview she has outgrown.

For further exploration, see the themes of self-worth, double standards for athletes, and the narrator’s character analysis.