If your usual products suddenly sting, your face feels tight an hour after washing and flaky patches keep appearing, the problem may not be a new skin type. It is often a damaged skin barrier, the thin outer layer that keeps moisture in and irritants out. The good news is that the barrier usually repairs…
Niacinamide shows up in serums, toners, moisturisers and even sunscreens, and it is often described as the ingredient that suits almost everyone. That reputation is partly deserved. It is gentle, stable and works on several common concerns at once, but it is not a cure-all, and the strongest bottle is rarely the best one. Niacinamide…
Lip blushing is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo that adds soft colour and definition to the lips. After spending time and money on the procedure, it is natural to want to try lipstick over your new shade, but putting makeup on healing skin too soon can cause irritation, infection and patchy results. Most artists advise waiting…
Royal blue is a rich, saturated colour that flatters a wide range of skin tones. Because it is so vivid, the lipstick you pair with it can either complete the look or compete with it, so it is worth choosing with a little thought. The best lipstick colours for a royal blue dress are a…
A red dress makes a statement on its own, so the lipstick you wear with it has an important job. The right shade makes the whole look feel intentional; the wrong red can clash with the fabric and make both look slightly off. The best lipstick colours for a red dress are a red that…
Green eyeshadow is one of the most flattering eye colours to wear, but it can leave you stuck at the lipstick stage. Go too bright and the look competes; go too pale and your face can look washed out next to a bold eye. The lipsticks that go best with green eyeshadow are soft nudes,…
Face masks and lipstick do not get along easily. The fabric presses on your lips, your breath adds warmth and moisture, and every time you talk the mask shifts a little. The result is often a stained mask, a smeared lip line and colour that has vanished by lunch. To keep lipstick under a mask,…
Lipstick has a way of ending up everywhere except your lips: on a shirt collar, a napkin you then drop on the sofa, a white top pulled over your head or the carpet when a tube rolls under your foot. The mark looks alarming, but lipstick stains usually come out if you treat them the…
A lipstick snapping off at the base is one of the most annoying makeup mishaps, especially with a favourite shade. The good news is that the colour itself is fine. Because lipstick is mostly wax and oil, it can be softened, re-joined or re-set with a little care. To fix broken lipstick, gently warm the…
Lipsticks get passed between friends, tried on at make-up counters and carried around in bags for months. It is natural to wonder whether yours is hygienic, especially after a cold, a cold sore or letting someone else borrow it. To sanitize lipstick, wipe off the top layer with a clean tissue, then dip or spray…
A lipstick looks simple: a smooth stick of colour in a tube. Inside, it is a carefully balanced mix of ingredients that has to stay solid in a warm handbag, glide on easily, cling to moving lips and stay safe when some of it is inevitably swallowed. Lipstick is made mainly of three groups of…
Matte lipstick is one of the most popular lip finishes, loved for its bold, even colour and the way it stays put through coffee and conversation. It also has a reputation for feeling dry, flaking by lunchtime and showing every line on the lips. Both reputations are partly true, and knowing why makes it much…
Black lipstick has moved from niche subcultures into everyday fashion, and it can look anything from soft and moody to sharp and dramatic. It is also the least forgiving lip colour there is, so a little planning goes a long way. To wear black lipstick, choose a finish that fits the look you want: an…
Thin lips are simply one of many natural lip shapes, and plenty of people love them as they are. If you would like them to look a little fuller, though, the way you apply lipstick matters far more than the product you buy. To apply lipstick on thin lips, start by lining just on or…
Red lipstick is one of the most striking things you can wear, and also one of the least forgiving. Every flake, wobble and smudge shows, which is why a red lip that looks effortless is usually the result of a few careful steps rather than a single swipe. To apply red lipstick, start with smooth…
Few makeup moments are as awkward as smiling in a photo and spotting a streak of colour on your front teeth. It happens to beginners and professionals alike, and it has less to do with the shade you choose than with where the product sits on your lips. To keep lipstick off your teeth, stop…
Most lipsticks fade because of simple chemistry: the oils and waxes that make them creamy also make them soft, mobile and easy to wipe away. Long-wear lipsticks, stains and setting tricks all work by changing that chemistry, either in the formula itself or in the way you apply and set colour on your lips. To…
Lipstick that starts crisp and ends up in tiny coloured lines around your mouth is frustrating, and it becomes more common with age. The movement is called bleeding or feathering, and it happens when colour travels into the fine lines at the edge of the lips. To keep lipstick from bleeding, create a barrier at…
You buy a lipstick that looks like a perfect fire-engine red in the tube, then it goes on your mouth and suddenly reads as bright pink or raspberry. It is a common complaint, and it is rarely because the lipstick is faulty. Red is one of the most sensitive shades to undertone, formula and lighting….
Standing in front of a wall of lipsticks, it is easy to pick a shade that looked lovely in the tube and then looks wrong on your mouth. The good news is that choosing a shade is not guesswork. A few simple checks narrow the options quickly and save you from a drawer of lipsticks…
Walk into any skincare aisle and you will find hundreds of anti-aging creams, each promising younger skin. The good news is that you need very few of them. A small set of well-researched ingredients does almost all the work, and the rest is mostly marketing. For anti-aging, use five things on your face: a broad-spectrum…