Once in a blue moon, an item of clothing comes along that changes how I get dressed. The same is true of makeup. Just as one Hush leather miniskirt recently caused me to ditch the dresses and embrace blouses and brogues for the first time in my life, one Laura Mercier matte red lipstick has dictated my entire makeup look for spring. Almost as soon as the new Velour Extreme Matte in Fire (£22) hit the doormat, I fell in love with red lips again after a conscious uncoupling a couple of years back (a combination of overfamiliarity and the acquisition of a green coat, that, teamed with red, made me look like a Christmas tree).
As a result, my morning prep time has halved. The soft, comfy formula (creamier than any other true matte I have owned) comes in a thin stylo, rather than the traditional stick, so it glides on precisely with neither brush nor much skill (a shaky train caused me no problems). It has reminded me how useful and time-saving red lips are: they are so scene-stealing and instantly affecting that little effort is required elsewhere. Complex eyeshadow looks too much, a bit dated, so it is positively stylish to forgo the faff and spend an extra 10 minutes in bed. Mercier’s Fire works especially well in the context of an otherwise simple face, since it is saturated in bold, long-lasting (six hours), almost neon orangey-red pigment; there is no point trying to pull the focus anywhere else.
If the experiment seems expensive, I recommend NYX’s Full Throttle in Firestorm, an impressive proxy for £6 (similarly vivid, if very slightly pinker; the overall look is much the same), or Bourjois’s Rouge Velvet in Joli Carminois, a cracking matte red with a useful pointy bullet, for £8.99. Both are stunning, but I find myself devoted to the Mercier (and I am pleased – she was due a big hit).
I have been wearing my neon reds with tinted moisturiser, concealer, a swish of glow powder on cheeks (it feels a bit early for bronzer) and brow gel, then heaps of black mascara. No eyeliner, brow pencil or shadow, not even any foundation, in the true sense of the word. It feels liberating and easy, it looks modern and chic and it goes with everything – weekend jeans or that leather mini.
