Beyond the catwalk, the concept of ‘fashionable’ make-up is a little bizarre and to be approached with caution.
Catwalk is emphatically not sidewalk. But make-up can be an easy shortcut to relevance — to being stakeholder in terms of beauty trends rather than just a spectator.
Various looks revealed themselves on the runway this season, the most powerful of which was an edgy, new-gen disco situation: glitter, sparkle, electric colour, neon eyeliner, metallic smoky eyes, crystals and florals. Oy! That’s not going to happen on the Tube now is it? But the easiest takeaway from this aesthetic is the wet-look lip, which hasn’t been around for a while so it feels super fresh, not to mention utterly accessible.
The fashionable version of this clear lip is understated — as seen on the catwalks at Chanel (where it was sometimes painted over a subtle stain) and Giambattista Valli — and reads as a glossy balm. No fuss. No liner. Just bare and kissable. Givenchy’s Gloss Interdit Vinyl Extreme Shine Gloss (£24.50; at boots.com) has a glamorous tube, a delicious taste (I’m not gulping it down but you know what I mean) and it delivers a lovely spring/summer 20 lip: delicately shiny.
If you want to ramp things up with an old-school take on new school, head back to MAC’s fat little tube of clear Lipglass (£16; maccosmetics.co.uk). It’s sticky, shiny, pouty, tarty… brilliant in every sense of the word. Wear your wet-look lip with very little other make-up and guess what? Your face is now fashionable!
