Celebrate National Lipstick Day with Glass

OUT OF the panoply of cosmetics, nothing has the power and potency of lipstick. Whether a bold slash or a demure hint, wearing lipstick elevates you with its make-up magic. There are many new products, formulations and techniques to enhance lips now – tints, balms, pencils.

To celebrate National Lipstick Day, I spoke to the Glass Beauty Director, Kim Brown, to discover her insights into this most emblematic makeup item – and picked up some handy tips – as well as her ride-or-dies.

What does lipstick mean to you?

I like different ones for different reasons. I always have a lip gloss by Mac in my kit because I can use it – sometimes even on the eyelids and put it over any lipstick, and it makes it look really high shine.

What lipstick means to me is expression. It’s a statement, and it’s about character. I have dark bobbed hair, and I love wearing a red lip when I go out nothing else – just a scrubbed face and red lip. It really brightens your face. I think it’s a form of expression. It’s your personality and a way of showing who you are by using makeup. I think most makeup is like that, but lips are definitely more of a statement.

How have lipsticks, or lip colouring, evolved during your time as a makeup artist?

I think lipsticks have evolved colour- and texture-wise. Brands are always changing formulas – they’re always sort of reinventing new ideas to transform the way we use them.

Ruby Woo by MAC is one of the best reds I think you can find, and I love orange lipsticks. I have such a collection of tomato-coloured ones. Hermès does a red orange which is one of my favourites – Chanel has a brilliant one. I don’t think there is a particular one I would consider the best.

The main thing that has changed about lipstick is the formulas. We used to have plain old lipsticks. Now we have lip oils, lip-plumping formulas, different finishes, mattified shades –different things and products that keep coming out.

I think lip oil has been like a big recent trend. We’ve had lots of new colours. Trends have changed, and application has changed,

In the 80s, a really bold red was the trend; in the 90s, it was barely there – a bit of lip gloss. In the 2000s it was about lip liner – lining the lips with a dark liner and filling it with something lighter. Now we have ombre lips. There are many sorts of different ways of applying products, too.

When you are working on a mood board for a story, how do lips feature?

think when I’m creating mood boards, lips are important again for creating characters. When I create mood boards, I like to make little stories, narratives; sometimes it’s inspired by a film. I like to know who the person is and what the character is.

It’s not just about pretty pictures. It’s like, she’s a 60s siren, Bardot-inspired, so therefore lips would be important because Bardot always had a very matte nude lipstick. Or is she a sort of 80s supermodel? Then we need lots of reds, things like that.

It’s about creating a character, and lips on a mood board can be so bold. You can use such intense colour, and it’s just a bold statement.

What lipstick application tips and techniques can you share with the Glass readers?

I think as far as tips and techniques are concerned, it’s about prepping the lips, making sure there’s no dry bits. I sometimes get a little damp towel and just rub them gently. This creates a nice smooth surface.

I also put a little bit of foundation onto the lips; this helps the lipstick to stay.  If you apply your lipstick first and then follow with a liner, it helps to create a really good shape, especially if you want something sharp.

People tend to do it the other way around.

I think it’s much better to add the liner secondarily. I just think you get the shape mostly with the lipstick. You then decide how you like your lip line to look and sharpen it with a pencil.

My tips are: use a lip brush, blot the lips and then reapply. It helps it to stay, and if you set it with a little bit of powder, that helps the lips from bleeding.  If you want a sort of blurry lip, which is quite fashionable now, a softer line, you can use a little eyeshadow blending brush and just, very gently, work it into the lip so you get a nice soft finish.

What are your go-to (ride or die) lipsticks or lip treatments?

The hydrating Sisley lip balm is amazing. Tatcha also do an amazing lip balm. There’s also a lot of good lip masks now, if your lips are terribly hydrated. I get that with models coming off a plane sometimes. Laneige make a great one. You just pop that on for 10 minutes; you can even leave it on as a lip balm. It’s super hydrating. Also, one surprising thing is that I use in my kit a lot of powder pigments, different colour powders, to mattify lipsticks and intensify the colour.

That can look super cool, like a really matte, powdery finish on the lip. Again, if you’re using orange, for example, you want a really matte orange; you can use an orangey powder pigment, and that really mattifies, you get this amazing effect, love that. These are my ride or dies.

I just love lipstick – I’ve got so many different brands.

Glass has deep-dived into the latest lip launches with an edit of glosses, oils, balms, stains, tints and, of course, the iconic classic lipstick.

National Lipstick Day is but once a year, but lipstick is for life.

by Caroline Simpson