Right from a child, I had crooked teeth. My dentist offered to straighten them (I was about eight at the time, I think), but it was all a bit rudimental back then and my parents decided not to go ahead with it. I guess they didn’t see it as a problem, and to be honest, I didn’t either. They were just ‘my’ teeth and seemed to work – I could eat easily and still had the capacity to bite my older brothers if the need arose, which it often did with those two.
Into my teens, I wore lipstick all the time, of every colour. Yes, including blue and black – very de rigueur at the time, for a little while anyway. I didn’t care what anyone else thought.
Then, as often happens, as I grew older and moved into my twenties, I became much more conscious of my teeth and took to hiding behind my hands when I smiled or smiling without showing any teeth at all. This continued all through my adult life. Becoming a journalist made it a bit awkward as it meant being in photos a lot of the time – a tad stressful, but I coped.
It was only in 2017, when I had a chance encounter with a woman in a pub who told me she’d just had braces removed, that it dawned on me that this was an option still open to me, even as an older woman. Her teeth looked terrific, and she wasn’t much younger than me. I can’t remember why we had this conversation, but I’m glad we did. It was just the catalyst I needed to tackle my teeth, and three months later, my tramline braces were fitted. I loved them actually – I had different coloured bands put on every time I had them tightened, and my mouth glittered with colours of teal, gold, amethyst and pink. I got so many compliments, which I was not expecting.
They were removed almost exactly two years later, and I was flabbergasted by the result. A shinier, straight, bigger, brighter smile.
You know what this meant don’t you? Yes, a return to wearing lipstick, albeit a slow one. I was still quite shy about drawing attention to my mouth area as I was so unused to it, so I started slowly.
Neutral colours were the order of the day, and to be honest, I’ve never really got to grips with anything too bright, especially reds, but it’s still a work in progress.
.So, here are my current favourite five lipsticks. The ones I reach for all the time. I tend to reach for a matte formula as it’s longer lasting, although I dabble with gloss every now and then.
I have many lipsticks as I got a bit carried away post-braces, but many are still waiting to be worn.
1. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk
£27
This is the lipstick I reach for the most. Too often to be honest, as it stops me from trying out any of the rest. But I can’t help it – it suits me so well, and being a pink nude, it is suitable for all occasions. It’s the one I reached for on my son’s wedding day – that’s how much I like it.
At the time of writing this, I prefer matte lipstick over gloss, and this one just lasts and lasts. Even through eating and drinking, although it might need a tad of touch-up, it pretty much doesn’t budge.
It suits every age and skin tone and is so hydrating and so is suitable for all of us.
2. Bare Minerals Mineralist Hydra Smoothing Lipstick in Romance
£20
Another nourishing, long-lasting lipstick which feels lovely on the lips. Pinker than Charlotte’s Pillow Talk but still a nude. It’s creamy, moisturising and vegan too.
It contains cold-pressed Sea Buckthorn Fruit Oil, Mediterranean Olive oil extract and natural oils extracted from Moroccan Pomegranate and Jojoba – that’ll be why it’s so hydrating, I guess.
3 Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour in Cinnabar
£26
This is a bit of a departure for me. Gone are the nude pinks, and instead, we have a deeply rich, burnt ochre, warm brown shade. It took some getting used to as it’s so different to what I’d usually reach for, but I find if I use a finger to tap in on and sort of just squish it into the lips, I can achieve a wash of colour, which suits me better (for not). Applying it from the bullet makes it too full-on for me. But I do love how it looks once I get it on. And it’s such a glorious lipstick to wear. As the name suggests, it’s very velvety.
4. Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Pink Brandy
£8.99
An upgrade on the original cult classic (which I’d never tried), this is another hydrating lipstick. Much brighter colour than the rest, though, which looks amazing on darker and sun-kissed skin. Max Factor claims the lips feel moisturised for up to 24 hours, but I haven’t put that to the test. Feels nice, though and does last.
5 MAC Liptensity Lipstick in Clouds in My Coffee
£19.99
Sadly, I’ve just discovered it’s been discontinued but is still available on eBay, so that’s where I’ll be heading next.
These are moisturising, highly pigmented lipsticks, although the colour I use is, well, sort of beige. Not everyone’s cup of tea it but suits me fine. Possibly a summertime lipstick, as it washes me out in the winter.