When it comes to bold lipsticks – my reds, my pinks, my purples – I’ve got the ways and means of locking them into place. I crack out my matte textures, amp up my lip balm usage afterwards and stick to formulas that stay put even through excessive burger eating (an essential property that all lip colours should have), like the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets, NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils and the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. However, the one thing that all the aforementioned lip lacquers lack is some decent nudes in the collection. Bourjois has a few – I think there’s a good’un called Happy Nude Year – but some days I just want a M.L.B.B option that requires no touching up, because ain’t nobody got time for that…
I’ve found a solution in the form of lip pencils and though there’s been a bit of trial and error and some days where my lips were so darn dry they resembled the shrivelled up-ness of a cat’s backside, I’ve found a few that are just the right balance of creamy and waxy; coating the lips with a pinky/brown hybrid all whilst giving my natural lip line a bit of an oomph.
It’s easy to do. I just line my lips as I would usually, pulling all sorts of gurning motions in the mirror to ensure it’s as symmetrical and sharp as possible, then I fill in the centre of my lips with the side of the pencil. Sometimes I smoosh in any excess with my fingers and we’re done. There’s no fear of sporting a ’90’s ring around the lips once it’s worn off a few hours later (because it doesn’t!) and there’s no need to carry any lip colours in your handbag (just remember to slap on that balm once you’re home).
My favourite favourite is one I’ve been using for years – L’Oreal’s Infallible Lip Liner in Always Toasted. It’s one of those retractable jobbies which means you don’t ever have to bother with sharpening and it’s the creamier on the two which means there’s no tugging or dragging with application. The colour is spot on too; a flattering mix of brown, mauve and pink (it’s what I’m wearing in the picture above). A slightly darker option, but equally ah-mazing in longevity and ease of use is Lancome’s Le Contour Pro in 211 Beige Rose. It’s the peachier of the two and is double-ended, so houses a handy little lip brush on one end which means you don’t have to use your finger for the ‘smooshing’ step, but can look all professional with a brush. I’ve even heard it’s one of Lisa Eldridge’s favourites. Well, if it’s good enough for Lisa…
Comments