Here’s an unexpected one: there’s no lip trend on the go at the moment. Gloss, matte, creamy, stain, tint, balm – you name it, new products in a huge variety of colours and textures catering to all your lip whims are making their way to shops all over the UK as I type.
It’s a development that delights me in principle and in practice – I like choice in beauty and all the playtime it entails for fans, and I am also immensely pleased to see a return of the shiny lip, which I last really went to town on in the 90s when everyone was copying the Spice Girls and loading up on MAC Lipglass. In case you’d forgotten (I had), lipgloss is bloody flattering stuff.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the newbies that have excited me…
l to r: Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Lacquer in 400 and 505 and Pur Lip Lure in Graceful.
THE LIQUIDS /
These are quite literally just liquid renditions of lipstick and are not to be confused with glosses (though the finish can vary just as it does in the case of a lipstick in bullet form). The reason to opt for a liquid is that it’ll stain lips as well as offer a finish like gloss/sheen/matte, so they’re a good option if you like a strong punch of colour that will wear down to a tint. My top new releases are the slightly sheeny Armani Ecstasy Lacquers (which launch soon here) and matte but moisturising Pur Lip Lure.
l to r: Revlon Matte Balm in 255 Enchanting and 260 Passionate, Laura Mercier Velour Lover Lips in Temptation, Zoeva Luxe Cream Lipstick in Easy Spirit and Faith & Love.
THE MATTES /
No longer drying pastes, mattes now come in a variety of formulas – all you have to do is find your matte. Revlon’s Matte Balms are good if you’ve no issues with moisture and you want some long-lasting colour – they come in a nice colour range and stay put well but are fairly drying. Laura Mercier’s Velour Lover Lips are a velvety matte, so go for them if you want your matte to cover cracks and not exacerbate dry patches, while Zoeva’s Luxe Cream Lipsticks really straddle the traditional lipstick/matte thing so they’re the ones for you if you just want a little flirt with the finish.
l to r: Sleek Candy Tint Balm in 069 Bon Bon and 071 Tutti Fruity
THE BALMS /
You know the drill with balms don’t you? Easy to apply, impossible to get wrong. Add deliciously-scented and protection courtesy of an SPF 15 to your list of balm pros if you opt for these Sleek Candy Tint Balms. Oh – don’t forget affordable, too – these are £6.99 each.
l to r: Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Jake and Malik.
THE TRADITIONALS /
Well worth a shout out – in all the excitement of new finishes and revolutionary formulas, it’s easy to forget the delights of a humble lipstick. It’s a degree harder to ignore their charms, granted, when the Ford keeps churning out collection after collection of beautifully curated colours and textures. This season, he’s reinstated the Lips and Boys range (due out here shortly). In case you’re wondering about the boys bit, each dinky lipstick carries the name of someone dear to Tom. And, in the case of Malik, dear to me now, too – it ain’t easy to find a lilac that’s this flattering.