[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I have got a lot of make up here despite the fact that I have regular clear outs. However, certain things I have not been able to bear to throw or give away end up bearing fruit when I’m able to compile a round up like this. I did one on ‘shy reds’ in reel format over on my Instagram channel but didn’t take pictures in order to do it here and immediately regretted it. So, this time I’ve covered both bases. Clear glosses are the workhorses of make up – little bit on the lips can give a lipstick more ‘juice’, worn alone, clear gloss visually smooths the lips, it takes the dryness out of lip tints and at a push you can use clear gloss to smooth a brow or give a hint of gleam to a cheek. I don’t think it matters what you spend on a clear gloss – they’re not all equal by any means but I think of it as more of a store cupboard ingredient that you’ll always be glad to find in an emergency.
19/99 has a great philosophy of being fun and useful for any one aged 19-99 – it’s a non discriminatory brand that actively promotes and uses older women in their campaigns. Their high shine gloss is the perfect level of shine and stick – it’s not sticky but it’s thick enough to stay around for a while. This one is made with ceramides and hyaluronic so you’ll get a moisturising element. It apparently has tiny flecks of mica which give the shine extra oomph but I’ve been using it for at least a couple of years and never noticed this! It’s £18 HERE.
You might be able to see that the Glossier gloss has a slightly blue tint to it – that’s the iridescence showing through. I’d say this gloss is kind of an ice queen layer for the lips because it’s a fizz of shimmer that’s fuelled with vitamin E and jojoba for skin conditioning. Glossier glosses are some of my all time favourites ever – Red is perfect – and there are only three shades, all minimalistic. They’re £15 each HERE. I’ve only recently featured the Kosas Wet Lip Oil and it’s quickly become a favourite for it’s bonkers level of shimmer. I’m always tempted when I’m wearing a black shirt or sweater to add a shimmery gloss – it’s been snowing here today and it put me really in the mood for a clear gloss lip with sparkle but this is a look that is equally at home in the summer. It’s £20 HERE in shade Exposed.
We are at the fancier end of clear glosses. The Victoria Beckham version is glooptastic in the bottle but perfectly smooth on the lips. Containing blackcurrant oil for conditioning, vitamin E to hydrate and a plant derived lipid complex to protect the lips, it feels like its ‘posh’ namesake. The tube is glass with a tortoiseshell effect lid that does make it look extra special. It’s £30 HERE. Chanel’s golden flecked Rouge Coco Gloss Top Coat in shade 774 is available at Chanel in the US HERE but not in the UK which is so strange. Its name is Excitation and you can find it if you Google for it from some less well known sites but mainstream, nope. The fact that it’s a top coat is key because it means you get that shimmer nuance without a full blown glittery lip. The closest I can find to it – and it’s really not far away at all, is NARS Afterglow, £25 HERE.
Maybelline Lifter Gloss is one of my top picks for being great value for money at £7.19 (at Lookfantastic HERE). The only downside is the smell and taste – very cup-cakey. The shade is Ice and it gives a lightly warmed, milky sheen effect that’s never not lovely.
This is definitely my most ambitious swatch to date! Especially on a really gloomy day. Bottom to top: 19/99, Glossier, Kosas, Victoria Beckham, Chanel and Maybelline. Whew!
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