Fashion Brief
Dual creme lip and cheek colour is not a new idea, but a drastically improved one since becoming a beauty editor’s favourite in the 90s. While they sounded wonderful in theory – little pots of colour that could be smudged hastily on to cheeks and lips to give the face an effortless-looking polish and flush of good health – I felt that generally (Stila and Becca being the exceptions), they delivered poorly on the lip end of the bargain. What was perky and pretty on the cheek often looked chalky, dull, a bit “dead salmon” on the mouth (especially on women of colour: the old dual cremes all seemed to share the same dusty undertone).
For me, a new era dawned with YSL’s Babydoll Kiss Blush (£28.50), one of my favourite launches in years. These look like nail polishes, but are the most beautiful lip and cheek creams in proper, actual colours – there’s more than one to suit everyone (I’m wearing Orange Fougueux here, but am just as frequently to be found in Pink Hedoniste, a perfect, classic pink). The dabber applicator means you simply dot on the cheeks and blend, then smudge more on lips. Soft and comfy, they last all day.
The most vibrant, summery shades come via Cheeky’s lovely Kiss’n’Tell Lip Cheek Tints (£10) – perfectly packaged squares of endlessly cheering colour.
If you prefer a more precise lip colour without the need for a brush, B Vibrant crayons (£3.99) are fantastic. The shades are strong on lips but suitably sheer on cheeks, and Alecia, a bold, tomatoey orange, is gorgeous for summer (they’re handy to carry, too).
