The last pink lipstick I had was a lovely frosted shade by Constance Carroll. That said, I'm not sure it was actually mine - there was a never-ending communal tube that got passed around the top deck of the Number 45 on the way to school (or college, as I insisted on calling it). It didn't matter if you were black, brown, blonde, redhead or bru-nette; everyone wore the same shade.
I looked at an old school photo the other day, and was nearly blinded by the glare from row upon and row of frosted lips. I don't know when it dawned on me that pink didn't work on my skin (probably around the same time I realised I was never going to have a fringe), but thankfully I did, and have steered well clear since. So imagine my delight when I was told that pink lippy was back in a big way. Today's pinks, however, are worlds away from their 1980s counterparts. They are strong and vivid in colour, but sheer rather than frosted - a combination that looks amazing on dark skin.
If you are yellow toned, go for a neutral pink that won't clash with your skin tone. If you've got red tones, however, you can wear more vivid colours (although you'll also look good with the right nude pinks). Pop My Bubble and Horny Hilda lip glosses from Pout, are great starting points. The first has a hint of pink and suits lighter skins, the latter a fabulous, iridescent bubblegum shade. "Black women tend to have very pinky lips, anyway, so try to enhance them," advises Nicole Arter from Pout. "If you go for a more intense version of your natural colour, you can't go wrong." The Sheer lipstick from Giorgio Armani in No 8, Virgin Cool from Vincent Longo and convertible lip colour in Petunia from Stila are great examples of modern sheer pinks.
If you find the idea of pink gloss just too girlie, however, try Revlon's super lustrous lipstick in Amethyst Shell. It's a soft, rosy pink, slightly shimmering, but not frosted. Mai Tai from Tommy Hilfiger is a deep, nearly purple pink that looks good on dark skin; and Pink Lemonade, from the same range (Sweet Stix), is light pink with a slight shine that looks good on lighter skin and, best of all, tastes of pink lemonade - which would have gone down a treat on the 45.
