Around five years ago, my friend Esther Walker asked me to do her make-up for a shoot. Before I’d even begun, she issued a series of orders, the most emphatic of which was reserved for her lips: she wanted them to not be too pronounced, and barred me from using any lipstick at all. I followed her orders despite their being at the time quite niche; lipstick was at its zenith, and nearly all make-up wearers partook.
But now, well, times have changed. Gloss is back, balm is once more popular, and lipstick comes in many, many different finishes to cater to the many, many different sorts of lipstick wearer. The latest incarnation is low-key, sling-it-on-without-checking-in-the-mirror, there-but-translucently-so territory, and top brands, including tastemakers like Lisa Eldridge, Violette Fr, and Victoria Beckham Beauty, are championing them.
I messaged Esther yesterday to ask her to summarise why she thinks this sea change is happening and she sent this back: “1) I am super shabby and cannot be bothered to re-apply – so I need something that fades evenly 2) my mouth is absolutely enormous, if I have anything more than a sheer tint I look like I am going to devour you, but the thing is I still want to feel like a glamorous 1940s siren applying her lipstick! Sometimes these things are not rational. So I need a balm/colour hybrid that makes me feel like a normal person able to apply lipstick, but does not require upkeep or make me look like a mouth-monster.” If you feel simil.