Illamasqua’s Loaded Lip Polishes

Like many, we first fell in love with lip gloss in our teenage years, a grape scented tube of trouble. Back then we followed the conviction that the more lipgloss applied to our lips, the better!

Now, the days of that thick, tacky feeling of sticky glosses are gone, but the lipgloss is making a comeback says Melanie Barrese, Head of Training and Education at Eyeko and Illamasqua. ‘As people start going back to work and socialising after all the restrictions, there is a greater sense of freedom, as we rediscover and reinvent our makeup looks post lockdown,’ says Melanie. ‘With makeup trends all pointing to a more pared-back, skincare infused make-up regimen, it makes sense to use lip glosses, specifically those that are a glaze or a soft transparent wash of colour.’

Makeup trends, like many things, go around in circles and after many years of velvety matte lips, it was time to do something completely different and start exploring new lip textures and finishes. During the matte lip trend, so many people would be worried about their lips looking thin, while glosses reflect light to give a full, voluminous pout no matter your lips’ shape or size.

Melanie believes that during the past two years, ‘people have evolved their skincare and makeup regimens, with natural, healthy, barely-there makeup and so lips were often kept conditioned and plump with lip balms.’

Is the use of balms now slowly morphing into high shine gloss? ‘Lipglosses in transparent or clear shades work beautifully with a pared-back makeup look’, says Melanie as they emphasise the lips without taking away from the whole makeup look, plus the shine reflects light to give a fuller-looking pout. So many people want healthy dewy looking skin, so it makes sense to have a similar finish on our lips.

What to use? For beauty lovers who want high shine but with lip caring ingredients that help to condition, while feeling comfortable to wear, Melanie recommends Illamasqua’s Loaded Lip Polishes which contain Sweet Almond Oil and Vitamin E to help condition lips with a lightweight balmy feel. The Loaded Lip Polish instantly nourishes lips leaving them feeling smooth and soft. Each of the 14 unique shades delivers a supreme, glossy colour, better still: the formula is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.