These moisturising lip tints, glosses and balms are easy and beautiful to wear, with minimal effort …
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We’re not smitten by the relentless pink and sugary beauty stuff and scents that are synonymous with February 14. Instead, we’re swayed by alluring lip colours – moisturising tints and textures that are easy and beautiful to wear, with minimal effort. And we’ve spotted a few good offers around this week, with tried and tested star buys starting from €15 …
1. For striking shades that multitask
We’ve been wearing the N°1 de Chanel Lip and Cheek Balms on repeat since they launched back in 2022 (they originally had the bulkier name of Red Camellia Revitalising Lip and Cheek Balms, since they’re infused with powerful antioxidant red camellia oil). The entire No1 range focuses on sustainability as well as performance. These versatile balms are richly pigmented – a little goes a long way. And this new Vibrant Coral shade is perfect for spring, adding a flush of natural-looking colour to cheeks and lips. We just spotted selected shades at €40.50 (they’re usually €45), at www.boots.ie. The spring shades of Rouge Coco Baume (like Cocoon, €42) are also very soft and moisturising, if you prefer a lighter tint of moisturising lip colour.
2. For a healthy shine
Lip oils are big this spring. Dior’s Lip Glow (first launched in 2009) has inspired a a raft of similar lip-enhancing, glossy formulas. And brand-new are La Mer’s new shades of Lip Volumizer, which deliver beautifully sheer colour with a moisturising glow. These look soooo pretty, with their juicy, fruity tints of berry, soft pink and coral (on the lips, the colour is barely there); and they have a bit of a minty tingle going on, which reminds us of the excellent La Mer lip balm (an enduring favourite). But at €85 for 7ml (main ingredient, petrolatum), these are sheer indulgence. For me, there is too much packaging going on – why the extra cellophane? The wand applicator is described as “sea-kelp inspired”, which I don’t really understand. They feel lovely to wear, give lips a sheen and look pretty in your make-up bag. My opinion is they’re one of those beauty items you long for on the shelf, but the price is rather prohibitive.
For other, more accessible glossy options, remember Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs, excellent “lip luminizers” with great shine (currently €15.20 at Boots, usually €19). And Clarins Lip Oils, around since 2015, are still up there, reminding us that newest isn’t necessarily best.
3. For daily lip comfort and sheen
We’re still wearing the Rhode Peptide Lip Tints, as are many beauty fans we know, and no wonder – they’re €20, and come in great colours, such as raspberry, rose and espresso. The LA-designed, Italian-made lip balms are just really lovely to wear, and perfect for a more minimal, low-key spring look.
Read more in our interview with brand founder Hailey Bieber here.
4. For a hot red
I’m testing out a new super-matte hot red lip colour at the moment (it’s embargoed until March) that I’m really excited by – it really nails the whole refillable lipstick idea (see our March issue, out on Thursday March 7, for details). But in the meantime, head to Space NK to discover the Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity refillable lipstick in Red 0, Hourglass, €45. It’s the ultimate vegan red lipstick, as it’s made with a carmine replacement – carmine, used for some red lipsticks, is, rather revoltingly, a red dye made from the shells of crushed cochineal insects. This high-quality alternative performs as well as any red, and is in an elegant, refillable applicator, too. www.spacenk.com
