Any beauty enthusiast will be able to relate to an experience I had this week. Living in London, I tend to avoid department stores apart from the odd pre-10am browse if I have time before or after a meeting. I often miss the welcoming atmosphere and general serenity of Brown Thomas or Arnotts, where you can browse and enjoy the bustle without feeling a genuine concern about being swallowed by a frenetic crowd and never seen again, your family left with only one of the shoes you were wearing to bury.
You will appreciate, then, how eager I was to replace my favourite lip liner when I marched into Selfridges, chin up and elbows out, one afternoon last week. When the woman who came to assist me told me, while wearing stars painted down one side of her face, that the lip liner had been discontinued, I felt more than a little irked.
The liner – MAC Liptensity Lip Pencil in a shade called Enoki – a slightly blue-toned greyish brown aptly named after a mushroom, was perfect. It gave you significantly more lip without looking artificial or lurid, and I miss it terribly. NYX Lip Pencil in Mauve (€4.25 at Boots) is sort of close, and very nice in its own right, particularly for lips that have a slightly blue tone to them, but it isn't quite Enoki. It can take years to find the perfect product, and when it is discontinued, it always feels like a gut punch.
Now is perhaps the moment to point out that yes, there are real challenges in the world and comparatively this certainly isn’t one of them. But the feeling is similar to that leaden disappointment you carry after an athlete or team you’re invested in lose. None of it is world-altering, but it is a bit sad, so do ensure that you’ve never felt invested in anything unserious before writing to tell me how unserious I am.
The whole thing sent me on a quest through the best everyday lip liners for extra lip, holding lipstick in place and general wearability. They vary, of course, depending on your skin and lip tone. Charlotte Tilbury knows this, and that is why she has extended her bestselling Lip Cheat Pillow Talk Lip Liner (€22 at Brown Thomas) into medium and deep shades. The original pinkish shade works well for lighter skin and pinker lips, but the medium and intense have more berry brown tones, to suit olive and deep skin respectively.
For a universal option, try cult favourite MAC Lip Pencil in Stone (€17.50 at Arnotts) which is brown with a blue-grey hue. Don't be put off by the description. The smallest amount blended around the lip will create a shadow effect that tricks the eye. A lot will give that 90s brown liner look that is back on trend anyway. For a more natural finish, try Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer in No. 02 (£18 at victoriabeckhambeauty.com) which is a neutral light beige brown with a little pink in it, making it adaptable and flattering.
