THE LIP LOWDOWN
The true-colour lip
MAC Liptensity, £17.50 A tetrachromat can see up to 100 million colours – that’s 100 times more than you and I can perceive. Not many, then. Basically, if they were on Mastermind, their specialist subject would be a rainbow.
So MAC teamed up with tetrachromat Maureen Seaberg to create the new Liptensity collection, with 24 new shades of lipstick, to add to the 245 MAC already has.
Thanks to dense, ultra-clean pigments, these satin-finish shades will look exactly the same on everyone, no matter what the undertone of their lips. How ingenious is that? (Shown in ‘Gumball’)
The ‘zero touch-ups’ lip
Rimmel The Only 1 Matte Lipstick, £6.99 If you’d rifled through the make-up bags of the synchronised swimmers from this year’s Olympics, you’d have found one common ingredient in all their make-up, and it’s called volatile silicone. This sexy-sounding stuff is the key to budge-proof make-up as, once applied, it evaporates on the skin, leaving behind a long-lasting layer of colour.
Rimmel’s new mattes have it in spades, guaranteeing lipstick that stays put, even when you’re doing a couple of lengths down the local leisure centre.
What’s more, they also feel really comfortable on the lips. We’re even prepared to put up with the overpowering fruity scent because the smooth finish doesn’t leave you with Dot Cotton lips like most other matte formulas. (Shown in ‘200 Salute’)
The plumping lip
Rouge Dior Lipstick, £26.50 1953 was a busy year for the Queen and Dior. While one got her crown, the other got into lipstick. We’re sure Liz has had her crown polished since then, so it’s about time Dior gave its lipsticks a makeover.
And it has: the iconic Rouge Dior now comes in 37 shades and two finishes (satin and ultra-matte), boasting hyaluronic acid. Yes, that’s the stuff lip fillers are made of, but don’t let that put you off. In lipstick, it helps attract moisture to the skin’s surface, which results in added volume in a swipe. Indeed, these babies definitely make lips juicier and fuller-looking – in a pretty way, not a Pete Burns way, promise. (Shown in ‘047 Miss’)
The red lip
Shiseido Rouge Rouge Lipstick, £23 A 16-shade collection of reds might seem a bit excessive. But with colours ranging from red-tinged nudes to deep burgundy hues, Shiseido is out to prove that there’s a perfect red for everyone, and it can range from exceptionally subtle to outrageously bold.
The brand takes its mission seriously, using five different hues of red in every one of its 16 shades to make their intensity, boldness and light-diffusing properties just-so. Basically, this collection of matte, satin and gloss finishes will end your search for your signature red. Ours is ‘Burning Up’, FYI. (Shown in ‘Rouge Rum Punch’)
The extrovert lip
Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick, £17 This collection is full of colours, in both matte and cream finishes, you never knew you needed – including a pure white, which works as a base to amplify other shades. There’s also a cornflower blue, which we are just waiting for an excuse to rock.
To get the boldest hue with one swipe, Make Up For Ever grinds pigments down to a micro-fine size. The point of that? It heightens the way light is reflected, so colours look ultra-bright.
Introverts, beware: these bold hues will get you noticed. Try the hot-pink M202 (annoyingly, they go by numbers rather than names) and see how long it takes for someone to ask what lipstick you’re wearing. ◆ (Shown in ‘M202’)