The beauty game changer: The new gloss

It might take you back to messy teen memories of getting your hair stuck to your lips, but modern-day glosses are made for grown-ups. A sleek, mirror-like shine not only makes you look polished, it’s also the easiest way to instantly plump lips without any needles. Whether a super-sheer slick or an intense lacquer, the latest formulas come in non-sticky, clean finishes.

Sheer glosses are pretty for everyday wear, and with an increasing demand for instant lip volume (there are literally millions of Google results on ‘how to get bigger lips’) even lip oils and balms – whether tinted or clear – are infused with plumping peptides or a glazed finish. Try Sarah Chapman Lip Enhancer Duo for a fuller effect (start with the volumizing Power Base then a slick of the Tint Balm). For long wear, prep with a lip primer (the KNC All Natural Beauty Collagen Infused Lip Masks are super-moisturizing) or matching lipstick underneath. To go bold, try an opaque gloss for a full-coverage, ‘glass-lip’ finish (Christian Louboutin Beauty Loubilaque Lip Lacquer creates a sexy, PVC effect). Blend gloss over the middle of the mouth, using your finger to dab the excess around the corners – never apply it directly to the corners of the mouth as it can gather and feather.

Don’t stow away your matte liquid lipsticks just yet. According to YSL Beauty’s Global Beauty Director, Tom Pecheux, layering a clear gloss over a dried matte lipstick (as he did at the SS18 Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini show) creates a cooler finish than wearing colored gloss alone: “Inky, matte lipstick leaves a stain on the lips, and when you combine that with gloss on top, it looks beautifully lived-in and sexy.”