Lipstick has long been said to be impervious to economic conditions, a small pick-me-up purchase when other big ticket items are off the cards as wallets tighten.
Pandemics on the other hand, have proved more challenging for the classic cosmetic item. With faces under masks, we turned to more low maintenance products.
But now, judging from the glut of new releases, we are ready to return to a more impactful lip look, albeit tweaked for comfort and care.
Cream and shine textures
Classic-style bullet lipsticks have evolved to meet our demand for high pigment colour that swipes on smoothly and leaves lips hydrated and comfortable. Though there are still plenty of options on the very shiny or very matte ends of the spectrum, new lipstick arrivals tend to embrace a position somewhere around the middle. The perfect example? Fenty Beauty’s new Icon Refillable Lipstick, billed as a semi-matte finish but leaves lips looking lush and full with a subtle sheen of moisture. There’s a wearable selection of ten shades spanning pinky nudes to red with classic scarlet shade ‘The MVP’ in particular intended to be a universally flattering hue.
The new range is refillable, with the lipstick tube and its case available to purchase separately, to cut down on packaging waste. The superstar founder says the unique tip of the lipstick bullet shape was inspired by her own famous lips, in particular her cupid’s bow, but also makes it easier for a precise application.
Go for gloss
While there’s nothing really groundbreaking about lip gloss, a 2022 trend report can’t be without it. That’s because all the influential stars of the beauty world are never without a topper of gloss even if they are wearing a full-coverage colour underneath. That includes both Hollywood stars like the Kardashians and those breaking trends on social media like TikTok, now an incubator of hot new beauty approaches and products.
Nudes still reign in this area but a touch of gloss over rose-pink or a more 90s, tawny-brown lip colour wont go astray.
L-R: Anastasia Beverly Hills Satin Lipstick In Peach Amber; Too Faced Lady Bold Lipstick in Lady Bold; Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Cream Lipstick in 264; Fenty Beauty Icon Semi-Matte Refillable Lipstick in The MVP; Clarins Lip Comfort Oil in Plum.
Lip tints and oils
Casual and quick remains top priority for many this year, so lip colour that won’t be easily smudged – particularly by mask wearing – or has a coddling texture that smooths and soothes has become increasingly popular.
In particular that means moist balm-type formulas loaded with skincare benefits with sheer colour payoff that doesn’t need all day surveillance and can be applied without a mirror.
New cream blush-and-lip hybrids are an interesting addition and make coordinating your blush easy as pie.
Lip oils are also back on the agenda. The sheer options use natural plant oils to give a glossy, see through tint to lips and helps your pout hold on to moisture long after the colour has gone.
When it comes to trending colours, nudes and bold red remain the stars for classic lip styles but plums and grape hues are coming through in glossy balms and sheer tint lip releases, and make a nice alternative in the colder months.
Treatment and care
With the recent expansion of skincare categories also comes more consideration of the skin on your lips.
Lips do not have the same protective outer layer, or stratum corneum, found in other areas of skin, nor do lips have the same amount of oil and sweat glands, so they don’t get the same type of hydration and lipids.
New treatment products like lip masks and lip serums provide hydration that penetrates deeper into the skin on your lips than lip balms and also claim to slightly plump out lip lines and smooth the surface of lips as well as minimise flaking. Hyaluronic acid, peptides and natural plant oils are commonly used to keep your lips in beautiful condition.
Permanent lip colour
Though it was first introduced as a semi-permanent makeup option in many high end beauty several years ago, 2022 is predicted to be the year ‘lip blushing’ really takes off.
Tipped in it’s 2022 beauty trends forecast, lip blushing is one of the fastest growing beauty terms searched for on crowd-sourced reviews and reservations platform Yelp.
The approach involves the application of a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo to the lips to create the appearance of a fuller, shaded pout, with more depth of colour, particularly useful to intensify your natural lip colour that can lose pigment with age. Think of it as microblading, only for lips instead of brows. Similarly, the pigment lasts for around 18 months.
