PINK POPS FROM THE DRUGSTORE

I think, in terms of makeup, pink is one of those colours that can go either way. If you’re not careful you can end up looking a bit like Barbie, but if you do it right you can look Olivia Palermo chic (but maybe with a slightly more smiley face). If you’re going for pink on the lips I find one of the best ways to keep it looking smart is to tone down the rest of your makeup. Keeping the eyes matte and simple and not going too nuts with the blush can help not to overwhelm the face and tends to make the lips look more striking.

I’ve always loved a bold pink lip the most with a matte finish. I have been so impressed with both the Sleek Matte Me (in the shade Party Pink) and Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet (in the shade Pink Pong) liquid lipsticks ever since they came to stay with me. Yeah I’d say things are getting pretty serious between us. They are so pigmented, so matte and their lasting power is phenomenal.

If you find matte to be a bit too drying and you’d rather opt for a cream finish I’ve got a few picks. Revlon’s Super Lusrous Fuchsia Fusion is a pretty good dupe of both Mac’s Girl About Town and Mac’s Show Orchid that I remember people were raving about a few years back... I’m working on catching up to modern times. If you’d rather go for a less shocking shade and something more peachy and light, MUA’s lipstick in Juicy fits the bill for a frighteningly affordable price. My favourite pick for a cream finish has to be Barry M’s Dolly Pink though. I’d probably pat it down with a tissue to get it a bit more matte myself, but it’s a beaut, especially paired with a matte brown eye.

And, well, if you’re just a picky Pam (COME ON Pam! Get it together) and you don’t like anything with the word lipstick in the name, I’ve got a couple of alternatives for you. The Maybelline Colour Elixir in Hibiscus Haven gives fresh look to the lips and it has a lot of pigmentation for a gloss. The one I use more often though is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm stain in Lovesick. It’s an oldie, but a goodie. It gives that bright pop of colour, but without ever having to worry about it smudging everywhere.

L-R: Sleek Pixi Pink, Sleek Sweet Cheeks Trio (Candy Floss, Dolly Mix, Cupcake)

Finally, I’ll give a quick nod to bright pink blush. People are always scared of pink blush when I show them, but if you use a light hand, you won’t look like a clown and it livens up the face instantly. Sleek does such good blushes for an affordable price and I don’t think that their blush palette in Sweet Cheeks got enough love. It even includes a cream blush in the trio. What more can you ask for. I was also quite taken with the Shade Pixie Pink when I saw Tanya Burr apply it in her Everyday Look for Christmas video. So if you’ve been shying away from pink, please do give it a try!