Getting over my fear of Lipstick

Ever since my make up obsession started (age 12, Collection 2000 clear mascara and Rimmel Hide the Blemish!) I have always been obsessed with eye eyes eyes. I am fixated on the biggest lashes, the sexiest eyeshadow/liner combo, the perfect crease, a flawless smoky eye, how to do the perfect liquid liner tick. I could go on.

Maybe five years ago I finally started to see the light with cheek colour. I'd always whacked a bit of bronzer on or some Benefit benetint but it was definitely not on my essentials list; I'd happily go out with nothing on my cheeks. Then Nars Orgasm came into my life and a lesson on contouring (with their matt bronzer) at the Mac counter sealed the deal and I got what a difference it made. Now i feel flat and lifeless without it.

Lips though, I have genuinely never been interested in. Yes, I like them to look healthy and moisturised. But call me crazy but lip gloss, however much I enjoy putting it on when it smells and tastes nice lasts approximately 30 seconds. Plus when you wear copious amounts of eye make up like I do I've always been not tempted at all to put anything major on my lips with fear of slipping into china doll territory.

I did start to feel like I was missing a trick especially when you read the beauty pages of any magazine singing the praises of a statement red lip or suggestion of a slick of dark plum for winter.

So cruising around the hallowed Harrods Beauty hall this summer I ended up chatting to the lovely girl on the Laura Mercier (one of my perennial favourite brands) counter and leaving with their Sheer Lip Colour in Bare Lips and Flawless fix lip pencil.

Love love love the liner, it's ultimately a nude creamyish concealer in pencil form but it works a treat at evening out your lip line and so that the edge of your lipstick doesn't smudge and it gives your lips a really clean polished defined line. I find the sharpener in the lid pretty useless though, makes a real mess of the wood around the point of the pencil.

Also love the lipstick, I would say it's a pretty universally flattering colour, easy to wear, easy to put on and a nice consistency.

My next step in the new world of lipstick if finding more of a statementy 'colour' that i genuinely believe suits me and I will actually wear

xx