The fun, or perhaps daunting, part about cosmetics for your lips is that the variety is vast, from sheer lipsticks, to opaque lip glosses, to shimmery lip glosses, to matte lipsticks, to moisturising salves and lip balms, the options are endless. We at The Amazing Blog maintain that the staples are a matte lipstick with longevity, a shiny lip gloss to use as a matte lipstick topper or on natural lips, an intense lip salve to use as a rich treatment, and an on the go lip balm. In our selection today, you’ll find all of these.
Lip preparation is very important when you’re going to be putting product on your lips, as you don’t want cracks and dried skin. Smith’s have a range of lip moisture products, and we were lucky enough to try the Rosebud Salve and the Tropical Ambrosia Balm. The former is their self-proclaimed ‘miracle in a can!’ and is their original salve dating back to 1892. The latter is a modern twist on the traditional formula with a heady combination of coconut and mango. The base formula has remained unchanged for over 100 years, with just some additional flavours added in to ramp up the vintage recipe for a modern generation. The concentrated blend of oil is high in vitamins A and E, which will do so much good for dry skin. The salves have a buttery, emollient texture which soothes chapped and cracked lips and anywhere that is craving for some extra-hydration – our cuticles and elbow love it! You can even add some dewiness to your face by tapping some onto cheekbones or keep unruly eyebrows and flyaway hairs in check with a touch of salve. Really, the options are endless.
Dr Smith’s company is still owned by his grandchildren, so we recommend getting in on this family’s secret recipe for some skin repair. Purchase tins here for £8.50.
Of course, these little tins aren’t always the most convenient to carry around with you, which is where ISUN’s Golden Lip Balm comes in. With equally intense hydration, it comes in a small chapstick for moisture on-the-go. This little lip saviour contains antioxidant herbs and high nutrient berry oils for nourishing lip therapy. One key active ingredient, Buriti Fruit Oil, extracted from the Amazon rainforest, has the highest known levels of protective carotenoids. Cacao Butter forms the base and is known for its antioxidants and fatty acids for intense moisture, and is responsible for the heavenly chocolate smell and taste.
All of ISUN’s products are created with natural ingredients, and these are harvested from the plants in their natural habitats, untouched by humankind. It is the rich nutrients that gives ISUN’s products their naturally nourishing properties.
Purchase ISUN’s Golden Lip Balm here for £12.50.
It is no secret that matte lipsticks have been the prominent trend of the past year or two, and they are definitely here to stay. With a matte formula, you get longevity and rich pigment. These lipsticks from LOLA say it all in the name; Matte Long-Lasing Lipstick, so make no mistake about it, these colours will last hours on your lips, with infrequent touch ups. Of course, as it is autumn, we’re into the colours Glacier Cherry, a rich, true red (which, to be honest, is timeless) and Purple Rock, a very autumnal, vampy purple.
The formula of these lipsticks does something special. It helps lips to appear fuller and smoother, which matte lipsticks usually do the opposite of. This is thanks to the blend of polymers and emollients which helps fill in fine lines and create an even surface. The jojoba oil and vitamin E nourish lips, making this matte lipstick a creamy and comfortable wear.
Purchase the Matte Long Lasting Lipsticks here for £11.95 each.
Now onto the gloss, a necessity, we believe, in everyone’s makeup collection. Jane Iredale’s PureGloss range has a plethora of shades to choose from. We have the shades Hot Cider, a golden-peach toned gloss, and Pink Lady, a classic pink gloss with a hint of shimmer. High-shine, sheer, but with a touch of colour, these glosses are perfect for transforming your natural lip colour or adding a shine and colour depth to lipstick. Despite being a gloss, these PureGlosses are remarkably long-lasting and contain Moringa butter and avocado oil to condition your lips. The added bonus? To us, they smell like gorgeously sweet pink lemonade.
These glosses are all vegan and certified cruelty-free, luxuriously creamy but with a slight stick which helps them to last longer on the lips. They are everything we love in a lip gloss.
Purchase the PureGlosses here for £19.95 each.
With an abundance of lip products and formulas to choose from, we hope we've helped you navigate the maze slightly. We think lips are one of the most fun facial features to decorate, so prep them and go forth and rock a bold or glossy lip!