10 lip glosses, stains and sticks in many shades of subtle

Fresh and simple makeup is having a moment. You could say that soft-focus, blotted lips are a response to the full-glam lined lips of the 2010s, or attributable to a post-pandemic society embracing low-maintenance trends that are achievable in the moments spared in our morning rush. I've been embracing the blotted-lip look for a few years now. As a very pale individual, colourful makeup has always been a bit unnerving. Blotted lips are an easy way to bring a touch of brightness into your palette while retaining an understated look. If you’ve never used a blotted lip product before you may be surprised by the texture — unlike a liquid lipstick, blotted lip products tend to be a mousse. The mousse texture allows you to manipulate the product to create blurred soft strokes of colour. The beauty of blotted lip products is their versatility; most can be worn sheered out or in full force like a regular lipstick.

Photo / Babiche Martens