Lip glosses and oils are everywhere – terrible news for diehard matte lipstick lovers. Forget nods to Studio 54; the modern gloss is not ostentatious. And pack away memories of juvenile strawberry-scented iterations; the new formulations are not the sticky kind that attract flying debris. Still, it’s also how you wear it. Chanel’s take is clever. Dab in the centre of lips on top of a wash of lipstick and team with a touch of blush. Looks contemporary and even works for a supermarket jaunt. For those who prefer OTT coloured gloss, be my guest, but I don’t suppose that will go down well with the matte brigade.
1. Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss £19, bobbibrown.co.uk
2. Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Nighttime Rescue Lip Oil Serum £25, esteelauder.co.uk
3. Pixi On-The-Glow Blush £18, pixibeauty.co.uk
4. Fenty Gloss Bomb in Glass Slipper £17, boots.com
5. Chanel Rouge Allure Liquid Powder Liquid Matte Lip Colour Blurred Effect, No 954 Radical £31, chanel.com
I can’t do without… A breathable, nourishing nail varnish
As I type, my nails are unpolished , brittle, discoloured, weak… You get the picture. Yes, it is not a very pretty one. Like most people I know my nail ‘care’ cycle involves a trip to the nail salon for semi-permanent colours that harden in seconds under UV lights and shine in all their impossibly glossy chip-free glory for at least two weeks.
Ubiquitous and convenient, it is the ritual of women everywhere. So when a nail polish lands on my desk I ask myself, ‘Why on earth would anyone use normal nail varnish?’ Well I look down at my fingers and it gives me all the answers. Regular semi-permanent manicures can have such a detrimental impact on the condition of your nails. Applied often enough they are dehydrating and discolouring.
Then there’s the removal process. The correct way involves acetone – also drying – but many impatient souls like myself sometimes pick or file it off because we can’t stomach chipped nail polish. Alas, this slowly sensitises, thins and destroys the nail bed. So I’m giving myself a break and going for this French nail polish brand. The range – which also includes an SOS treatment that restores nails in a week – is enriched with ingredients, such as avocado, zinc and sweet almond oil, and is also breathable so your nails don’t have to compromise on hydration, oxygen and nutrition just because you fancy a bit of colour. L’Atelier Green nail polish, £15.99, lateliergreen.com
On my radar… Evocative scent, new haircare and a soothing mask
Behind the mask Buy a mask from this collection for tired, anxiety-ridden and hormonal skin, and one sanitary product will be donated to Hey Girls, which tackles period poverty. Faace Masks, £19.50, wearefaace.com
Rock the casbah Not only does this scent transport you to the streets of Morocco (the main note is orange flower water), it enhances any other scents you layer it with. DS & Durga Crystal Pistil, £148, libertylondon.com
Hair hero Hollywood hair stylist Frédéric Fekkai is now so legendary he is a mononym. His eponymous US haircare brand - plant-based with salon style results – hits Selfridges this week. Fekkai, from £10, selfridges.com
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