Finishing Touch

Nothing finishes off the look of beautiful skin more than a velvety glide of lipstick. If it comes in an elegant gold canister all the better for out of the handbag one-upmanship. For a long pre-Christmas lunch, you’ll want a lipstick that stays on, so the trend to matte is welcome and made more palatable with formulas that wear well, but don’t leave lips feeling overly dried out. Choose a classic colour, be it a bold red or a neutral nude or rose, or experiment with a seasonal statement shade such as tangerine or fuchsia. Right now we’re loving the YSL Le Fuchsia collection (pictured), a homage to the original No. 19 Rouge Pur Couture shade from the 1970s, now decorated with a fuchsia emblem, $66, supplemented by the choice of three limited edition interpretations of fuchsia, with a purple, magenta or beige cast. Aside from these traditional creamy lipsticks there’s also a No. 19 in the Tatouage Couture liquid matte light-feel formula, $66.

Other new gold-plated offerings we rate are Jane Iredale’s Triple Luxe Long Lasting Naturally Moist Lipstick, $62, in 16 vegan-friendly matte shades including the great rock star red called Gwen, and Bobbi Brown Luxe Matte Lip Colour lipsticks, $64.