The lipstick index – coined during the economic downturn during the early 2000s to refer to the spike in lipstick sales – is not about to be disproven by Covid-19.
Never mind that Amazon has shown that its lip care and colour category dropped 15% in sales and 28% in prices. It’s only logical, since masks have become mandatory and no one can tell if you are (or aren’t) wearing lipstick.
But amid all this doom and gloom, hope floats. Out of more than 27 million Covid-19 cases worldwide, more than 18 million have recovered. We are also inching closer towards a vaccine. And with dining-out permitted, every mask-free moment is much savoured.
So if you’re going to spend all that effort on readying your eyes, hair and nails, why would you not have lipstick? Studies have shown that lipstick can help improve your confidence and boost your mood – which can contribute to better mental wellness during this pandemic.
Whether you’re saving lipstick for outdoors or indoors, we say, grab one.
Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin Matte Fluid
Red leads the lippie line-up for Rouge Louboutin Matte Fluid, which comes in 10 matte and 5 metal matte shades. It glides on like fluid but dries into a powdery finish and lasts for hours without compromising on coverage. Oh, did you know that each shade is named after a shoe by the French designer, such as Et Voici et Voilà (orange red), Multimiss (dark red), and Patibaba (burgundy red)?
Available from 15 September here.
Fenty Beauty Glossy Posse: Holo’Daze Edition
Rihanna has rolled out her bestselling lip glosses in the latest and limited-edition hues of Cake Shake (bronze), Baby Brut (champagne), Taffy Tea$e (coral) and Ruby Milk (fuchsia) to make our smackers shiny and smooch-ready. Contains shea butter to nourish without leaving a sticky after-feel.
Available from 15 September here.
Clarins Natural Lip Perfector
Its creamy consistency makes this Clarins icon such a joy to use while its velvety matte finish allows you to build intensity quickly. Comes in four new shades of Nude, Rosewood, Red and Raspberry.
Available here.
Romand Zero Matte Lipstick
This Korean brand is a purveyor of MLBB – that would be My Lips But Better, which describes a lippie shade similar to the natural colour of your lips. Conceived in collaboration with YouTube makeup maestro Saerom Min, this offers great stay without drying out your pout. Comes in 13 shades, including Pink Sand (above).
Available here.
Dior Rouge Dior 999 Matte
Positive, impressive, energetic and charming. Red, according to legendary couturier Christian Dior, is “the colour of life”. Inspired by the two lipstick hues of 9 and 99, 999 is poised to be the brand’s most alluring among its more than 1,500-strong palette.
Available here.