‘I’m a beauty editor who hates lipstick but I’m wowed by these new lip makeup buys’
Not a lipstick lover either? Check out these innovative new lip makeup launches that have converted our beauty director (and she’s not easy to please)
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When you’re a beauty journalist, everyone assumes you can rock any lipstick going, whatever the brand, shade, texture or trend. But the truth is that lipsticks, lip glosses, lip stains – basically any lip product that’s not a lip balm – and I do not get on. We never have. And it feels like I’m not properly fulfilling my job description – I’m the beauty editor who doesn’t wear lipstick.
But I’ve recently had an epiphany – I’ve found a handful of truly innovative lip products that have completely changed my mind about wearing lip colour. If you’re like me, and have never managed to wear more than a hint of tint, then you need to read this.
But, first, my reason for being a lipstick hater. My lips are often cracked or chapped which means making a lipstick look good requires prep work – lip scrubs and masks, for example – and as someone who lacks time most days, this isn’t going to happen. I also find most glosses very drying; one slick and I can feel the moisture being sapped from my lips. And I can’t be the only one who, in the mere hint of a breeze, finds my hair sticking to a gloss, can I?
Then there is the level of maintenance that comes with lipstick; the constant touchups for which you always need a mirror, something I never have to hand. Lipstick definitely can’t be reapplied on the go (which is how I spend most of my time). Plus the colour choice is overwhelming. There are 50,000 different shades of red lipstick yet it still feels impossible to find one that doesn’t make me feel like I’m wearing clown makeup.
But over the last few months, something astounding has happened. Lip products have landed on my desk that I haven’t automatically dismissed. Products that are doing something completely new and, dare I say it, have reinvented the lip makeup category. There’s a genius lip liner from Merit that will make you rethink everything you know about lip liners, a clever crayon from makeup brand Sweed that is the stuff low-maintenance dreams are made of, and a lip powder (yes, really). That one has taken up permanent residence in my makeup bag.
Here are the clever new lip buys that’ve changed my mind.
The no line lip liner:
Lip liners are traditionally designed to create a fairly harsh and obvious line. From a practical stance, they prevent lipstick from bleeding into the skin around the mouth, but over the years, makeup trends have also dictated that it’s cool to pair a liner a few shades darker than the lipstick they’re worn with, a trick that makeup artists have used for decades to create the illusion of fuller lips without any filler.
Because of that, they require precise application and a steady hand, and because of that, they have never appealed to me. This lip liner is none of those things. It has a balmy consistency which makes it totally fool-proof to scrawl around your lips. It adds just a hint of definition to lips (something we all need as we get older and our lips get thinner), and the sheer colour sinks in to make it look like your natural lip line just a bit more defined.
It comes in neutral eight shades – I wear Beverly Hills, and I also have the matching Flush Balm, £26, and sometimes will wear both on my lips. The pencil has a handy sharpener built into the end so you can keep the nib pinpoint sharp. I have worn it alone, but you can also use it to colour in the rest of the lips to give that ‘natural lips but slightly better’ effect.
Buy NowThe see-through lipstick crayon:
While this is called a lipstick, I would argue that it’s a tinted lip balm with serious staying power, that comes in a very handy and easy-to-use chunky crayon. The formula feels very hydrating, it contains squalane and nourishing waxes, and the colour is sheer so don’t have to apply it with precision. But it gives the lip a little something something without feeling obvious.
There are 11 shades to choose from, all with a natural vibe, although there is a sheer red (French Girl) and a deep brown (90s Model) if you want to wear more of an obvious colour. I wear shade Nude Pink on a daily basis.
Buy NowThe lip blurring powder:
It might sound odd (and potentially drying) to put a powder on your pout, but trust me when I say this lip product is genius. Created by makeup artist Jamie Genevieve, when this landed on my desk it was one of the few times I ‘ve been genuinely wowed by innovation.
For all intents and purposes, it looks like a lip gloss, but when you pull the wand applicator out, it is coated in a mousse-like powder; no globules of gloss here, thank you very much. It does feel powdery to apply, but that is far nicer in reality than that sounds. When it dries down, it does a very clever thing of creating a blurred and buffed-out effect. You don’t need to be precise as you would with a lipstick; you don’t have the stickiness of a gloss, and what you’re left with is a very chic, youthful-looking lip. It currently comes in four very neutral shades of pink and brown. I wear the soft pink shade, Pinkie – but a shade extension is inevitable.
Buy NowThe lipstick for the lipstick naysayers (with handy added sun protection):
Sculpted by Aimee HydraLip, £16
In many ways, this is a traditional lipstick; it certainly looks like one and goes on like one. However, it doesn’t come with any of the issues that I come up against with lipstick. It is super hydrating but it doesn’t have a balm consistency; it feels a bit powdery. It has a chunky and angled bullet, which makes it easier to swipe over lips without the need of a mirror, but I dab it on and press the colour into my lips, which works a treat. There are six neutral shades to choose from – I wear the rosy pink shade Blush – but there is a deep brown shade (Bronze) and a peachy-pink tone (Peach) that create more of a ‘lip look’ if that’s what you’re after. And it contains SPF 25, which makes it ideal for lips prone to chapping and dryness.
Buy Now
