PRO TIPS: Dry, cracked lips

Image courtesy of www.fitsugar.com

The snow may be disappearing but my poor, dry, weather-beaten cracked lips are ever present.

It seems that no matter how many glasses of water or pots of herbal tea I drink (Rooibos being my herbal of the month) I just can't seem to compete with the constant sea-saw of bone-rattling winds versus 'as-high-as-she-goes' central heating.

For those of you in the same boat, here are my Top 3 Lip Savers:

1. Lucas Papaw (25g tube, £4.95 + P&P from pawpawshop.co.uk)

I remember buying my first Lucas' Papaw tube back in 2006 whilst living in Melbourne (ah, those were the days) but had been aware of its cult following for some time (I have an image in my mind of a model being snapped in the early Noughties with a Papaw tube sticking out of her bag?).

'Pawpaw' (often spelt 'papaw') is simply another word for 'Papaya' and papayas,  as we all know, *ahem*, are a good source of 'vitamins, minerals, [and] amino acids'.

Importantly, Lucas' Papaw ointment - the formula for which has remained unchanged for 100 years(!) - is known for its antibacterial and antimicrobial* properties, making it an ideal product for use on chapped lips, burns, insect bites and chaffing.

A cheaper alternative to Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream (£25), this is a must for Sheilas-on-the-go.

2. Nivea Creme (£1.49 for 50ml from Boots)

When my lips are seriously chapped - i.e. when lip gloss makes things worse, not better - I turn to my trusty blue tub, aka good ol' Nivea Creme. Of course you can't really wear it during the day, unless you want to look like a zombie, but slather it on before you go to bed and you will wake up with NEW lips, I swear.

Also good for brides who want to soften up their lips on the morning of their wedding: Leave on for 15 mins, wipe off with a tissue and lightly buff lips with a damp face cloth or towel. Follow with a light application of lip balm.

3. Chantecaille Lip Potion (£36 for 4.5g from Liberty)

So very decadent and dare I say it, reassuringly expensive, this luxurious lip treatment incorporates macadamia oil, Shea butter, vitamin E, aloe as well as rose and lavender flower. It's the champagne of lip balms, leaving lips with an unbeatable silky smoothness. Thankfully - as one would hope for the price - a little goes a long way. Put it on your Christmas list now for next year.

* Wiki explanation: "Antimicrobial liquids kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria".

Matte Lip meet Über-Balm

Keeping up with the latest makeup trends and product launches is a must when you're a makeup artist, and is, I'm delighted to say, one of the things I love about my job. 

On the one hand I'm fascinated with the way trends begin, the way they trickle down slowly into the mainstream, only to reappear again 20 years later (yes, I'm talking about you, 'Heather Shimmer' by Rimmel).

And then there's the product launches. There must be a statistic out there somewhere that says a new makeup/beauty product launches every 2 seconds (at least that's what it feels like!). But you know what, materialism aside (who actually needs 17 lipsticks?), the proliferation of new makeup and beauty products can only be a good thing. For one thing, it means products have to keep competing with each other in order to survive. And competition, as we know, drives quality.

One trend that has recently been ringing loudly in my ear (and burning my eyes, cos it's EVERYWHERE) is the rise of the über-balm. An obvious retaliation against the super-bright, über-matte lip of recent years. And they're all doing it...

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm
in 'Crystal Coral' (RRP £16.50)

Revlon Lip Butter 
in 'Tutti Frutti' (currently on offer at Boots for £5.99)

Shu Uemura's Rouge Unlimited lipstick in 'CR330' (RRP £19)
Click here for a great review of the range

The Shu Uemura range is more pigmented than the other 'balms' but extremely moisturising:
"...containing jojoba seed oil, shea butter, ceramides and a moisture-lock cream (a ‘vegetal origin paste’ that keep the active ingredients close to the lips)".  - Makeup Stash (Singaporean blogger)

Do my lips look chubby in this?

And presenting, this trend's principle offender... *deep breath*:  Clinique's Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm RRP £16 (to give it its full, Bingley-Pottersly-Smythe title...I mean, seriously). 

I used to work in advertising so am able to envisage the type of media planning that must have gone into the launch of this little wonder stick but my, my, open any magazine this month (including last month) and there they are, placed rather ingeniously alongside cubes of 'wibbly-wobbly' jelly (the very sight of which instantly make my mouth water). But I'm sold! And clearly it's only a matter of time before I buy...

Personally, I think sheer washes of colour are great. Here's 4 reasons why:

- you don't need a mirror to apply them

- they come in a variety of spankingly hot, Pantone-inspired brights (The gods at Pantone have decreed Tangerine Orange Colour Of The Year don't cha know!)

- they keep your lips moisturised so you don't have to cart around lippie and balm in your handbag

- great for all work, date, mid dinner-party top-up scenarios

Has the sheer-wash trend washed with you yet?