A moment on the lips

When I worked as a cosmetics consultant we were expected to wear 10 of the brand’s items daily. Impossible you may think, but to clarify, this typically included: foundation, concealer, powder, eyeshadow, eye-liner, mascara, blusher, lipstick or gloss, fragrance and nail polish. Yes, an awful lot of make-up!

The thing is it became the norm, and under the bleach of retail lighting it also became standard to top up throughout the day. I got so used to seeing myself caked in layers of product that I could barely stand my face without it. One day I left work and a local gentleman afflicted by Tourettes syndrome repeatedly muttered ‘too much make-up, too much make-up’ as he passed, and he really was speaking the truth.

These days I favour a far softer look, believing that if your skin is prepped and polished it really doesn’t need to be covered up. Summer is the ideal season to experiment with a more natural look as a warmer skin tone needs less to set it off.

In my eyes, there’s little better than soft dewy skin with a wash of colour on the lips – and I’ve selected three of the best products to help you achieve this look…

1. Korres Colour Lip Butter in Wild Rose

   What I call a ‘hybrid’ brand, Korres creates products that contain high levels of naturally derived ingredients in amongst a few that are less so. Natural purists and those with allergies can find a full ingredients listing here.

   Promoted as a lip balm, the butters offer a highly pigmented wash of colour alongside their hydrating properties. Blended with shea butter and rice wax, this shade also contains safflower seed oil and rose canina flower extract; ingredients that sound as pretty as they appear. Wild Rose gives a berry like finish, very on trend for summer 2012. My only warning, this really is a shade for girls with truly pearly whites.

   £7.00 for 6g – www.korres.com
   Purchase from the UK: www.harveynichols.com

2. Yes to Carrots Lip Tint in Cotton Candy

   A playful lip tint, cotton candy is a ballerina pink that’s wonderful for summer (you just need a rose garden to glide through!) I’ve found it’s best to dot the colour, rather than swipe, to add tint without ending up with 80′s frosting. The result is so pretty that my husband commented on it without prior prompting.

   95% organic, the formula is a mix of coconut, jojoba and sunflower oils. This also contains one of my favourite ingredients for the lips – peppermint oil which adds a light (non painful) tingle and – at least I’m always convinced – a very subtle plump.

   £4.99 for 2.6grams – www.yestocarrots.com
   Purchase from the UK: www.victoriahealth.com

3. Organic Glam Lipstick in Nude

   This is my current favourite lipstick, which has been used to near-stub! The texture is creamily soft and it’s absolutely bursting with beautifying goodness – shea butter, castor oil, green tea, grape, lemon and orange.

   There’s a lovely subtle twinkle that, with the barely there shade, adds a brilliant depth and fullness. The packaging is equally glamorous, cased in black and gold and with that satisfying lipstick click! I love it so very much and will definitely be stocking up soon.

   £17.95 for 3g – www.theorganicpharmacy.com

No doubt this feature might have evoked a spot of daily product counting, but I hope it also encourages you to step out fresh of face and shining of lip this summer!

As ever, I’m keen to hear what you’ve been applying…

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