Hannah Pool 

The new black

Hannah Pool: If ever a beauty product proved the fact that women don't get made up for the benefit of men, lip gloss is it. I adore my gloss, am inseparable from it, and yet even I find it sticky and a bit unsavoury.
  
  


If ever a beauty product proved the fact that women don't get made up for the benefit of men, lip gloss is it. I adore my gloss, am inseparable from it, and yet even I find it sticky and a bit unsavoury.

I love how gloss makes my lips look, I love the feeling of invincibility I have once I've applied it, but I wouldn't want to kiss someone wearing the stuff. It can't be nice, can it? Imagine all that gunk coming towards you. Now imagine it's pink, purple or any other colour - yuck. I've never met a man who doesn't hate lip gloss. But that doesn't matter, because it's not for them - at least, not yet it's not (look what happened with moisturiser).

Lip gloss works particularly well on darker lips because you can add a strong colour without looking like a clown. Despite its rather lairy reputation, gloss can and should be subtle, especially this season.

"The look is undefined and understated," says Gary Brunker, a make-up artist for Prescriptives. "It's a wet look, sort of like jelly, with no definition. Use your fingers and don't use lip liners." Glitter is also banned: it might work on eyes but it's never a good idea on lips.

Gloss is perfect for summer, especially if the idea of the natural look brings you out in a nervous rash. All sun-kissed skin needs to bring out its colour is a slick of gloss, though, as with the rest of your summer make-up, if you are going for colour, stay away from anything flat, blocky or too light. Go instead for glosses that give a hint of colour. This season it's coral for the shy (but not too light) and orange for the bold.

For me, Lancôme is still the frontrunner in the gloss stakes, its new Juicy Mood Tubes picking up where the bestselling Juicy Tubes left off. Mac's Lipgelée (try Lilacrush) and Benefit's new Prom Night Glosses (try Corsage and Curfew) are all fab. If you find your gloss slips off the moment you apply it, first try dabbing your lips lightly with translucent powder. And the best tip for keeping gloss out of your hair? An Afro, of course.

 

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