A touch of Glamour with Armand
Words by Armand 29/11/2007
Lip Service Lipstick is the one make-up item that most women would take with them to a desert island. It gives instant life and colour to a complexion, and is elegant yet seductive. The lips are one of the most sensual parts of the body, and since the days of the ancient Egyptians both women and men have been painting them.For a number of seasons lipstick has taken a back seat and has been replaced by gloss as the “number one” cosmetic must-have. This year lipstick makes a welcome return, with most of the cosmetic houses emphasising a chic satin lip. If you find you’re spoilt for choice as to which lipstick to go for here are a few suggestions. LONG WEARINGMax Factor Lipfinity: The cheap but cheerful lippy is essential for any woman who wants staying-power. But if your lips have a tendency to become dry, this lipstick can enhance the dryness, so be warned! Other good long-lasting lipsticks are available from Christian Dior and Clinique - they also have a good selection of colours, whereas Lipfinity shades tend to be darker. SATINBoth Givenchy and Guerlain have really good lipsticks that give a hydrating satin finish to the lips, and both come in a great selection of colours. Givenchy’s packaging is sleek, with the brand’s trademark black and white effect, whereas Guerlain screams opulence with gold casing and a secret mirror. VOLUMISINGMoulton Brown-Wonder Lips: This ingenious lipstick contains a plumping ingredient called maxi lip which, believe it or not, does give a fuller look to your lips. Colours, however, are fairly limited with this range at the moment. RED LIPSTICKMac-Russian Red… Givenchy-Clubbing Red… Shu Uemera-Red: These three red lipsticks add instant glamour and will be an essential accessory for every beach bag this summer. MANLY MAKE-UPWomen watch out: you have got some serious competition in the glamour stakes - men are spending more on cosmetics than ever before! In the UK alone the male cosmetics market has grown by an amazing 800 per cent over the past seven years, with cosmetic giants like Clinique, Clarins, Lancôme and Aveda all leading the way by stocking products specifically designed for men. French designer Jean Paul Gaultier has even launched a manly make-up range just for us guys. So no longer does your fella have to fumble in your make-up bag for your Touché Éclat concealer pen, because he can now have his very own… and it’s even combined with Sharp Eyes by Jean Paul Gaultier - an eyeliner disguised as a pen. The winter months may have deprived him of sunshine, so to avoid looking pale and pasty, treat him to some of Clinique’s non streak bronzer (only use a small amount and work quickly, blending onto the face). Sisley’s self tan for the face is another excellent product for men - I know because I use it (No 1 for paler skin tones and No 2 for olive skin tones). Remember before self tanning to always exfoliate with a good facial scrub. Face scrub is essential for softening facial hair before shaving as well. There is also tinted lip balm available which is especially useful here in Spain, because most of them have an SPF protector.Don’t panic girls: the idea with these products is for your man to stay looking manly yet polished and perfected, just like these make-up loving Alpha male celebrities:Robbie Williams – partial to a little bit of eyeliner.David Beckham – has been seen with nail varnish.Basketball star Dennis Rodman – his make-up fetish hasn’t stopped his pulling power.And Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns – maybe I should quit while I’m ahead!
