I read somewhere that in times of crisis, when people are watching their spending a bit more such as now, then sales of items such as lipstick rise. People can’t justify spending their hard-earned cash on big ticket items but can justify spending a little on a small item that will bring them instant uplift and joy, and lipstick does just that.
For a long time I felt self-conscious when wearing a strong lip, but inspired by many of my girlfriends who pulled it off with ease, and working on so many lipstick stories while I was a journalist I felt I had the know-how to prep the lips and give my face the right base make-up to wear a strong lip, I just needed to add a touch of confidence.
It took a while to find my go-to, after testing many and I realised my colourings suited more of a reddy/orange than a red with blue tones and I also preferred matte formulas. After reading about Laura Bailey’s description of ‘Tell Laura’ by Charlotte Tilbury in an issue of Grazia magazine I felt like this could be my shade too, not least because I’m also a Laura! I asked for it for my birthday and have been wearing it ever since.
I love how a strong lip can divert from tired eyes, uplift an otherwise monochrome outfit or add that extra colour pop. The trick is to prep the lips by brushing a toothbrush over them first to remove dead skin then add a balm. Apply the first coat and blot on a tissue, then a second and repeat before a third and final layer and blot. I find this process helps the colour to stay put all day.
I’m also a big fan of this dark coral pink shade called Apple Bottom from Beauty Pie and decided to dip into a more nude tone for an everyday lipstick to help me feel a bit more pulled together during lockdown. I went for Futurelipstick in Semisweet (also from Beauty Pie) after I saw @sarahtankelellis recommend it on Instagram – it’s lovely and moisturising even though it’s matte too.
So these three shades are on rotation in my make-up bag, what are your go-to lipstick colours?
