From The Straits Times    |

A lipstick can be so many things – a weapon of seduction, an instant mood-lifter, a quick fix for a tired face… But the trial and error involved in finding the right one can sometimes be really tricky, and not to mention a waste of time and money.

Enter our lipstick checklist. Just check off the points when shopping for your next lippie and you’ll be on your way to ultimate lipstick satisfaction.

1 / YOU CAN’T PUT IT DOWN

It might sound superficial, but how a lipstick’s packaging looks and feels does play a part in how you will take to it. Take Clio’s Rouge Heel as an example, it feels super sleek and luxe when held in your hand thanks to a faceted tube with a smooth, shiny lacquered finish that’s inspired by the feminine sexiness of a patent stiletto heel. It also has a click to release magnetic cap and a smooth swivel-up mechanism that makes it a pleasure to use, so once you touch this lipstick, you won’t want to put it down.

2 / YOU WANT TO KEEP SWIPING

You know your favourite tube of lipstick, the one you’ve used down to a tiny nub and even used a lip brush to get to bottom of it? What makes those lippies so special? It boils down to the feel of the formula on your lips. A lipstick should always feel creamy with a smooth glide, never dry or piece-y and crayon-like. If you smooth it on and feel like you want to keep going because it just feels so good on your lips, even though you’ve already got the colour down pat, then you’ve got a winner right there. Clio’s Rouge Heel is one such formula, it melts onto lips and gives the creamiest colour with a single swipe, but mind you, you’ll want to keep swiping because it feels so buttery soft on the lips.

3 / ONE SWIPE COLOR SATISFACTION

By its very nature, a lipstick is a form of instant gratification – swipe on for instant colour on your lips. Why settle for anything less than the richest colour and the most intense pigments that give you the payoff you want from the first swipe? That’s why we love all the 8 shades of Clio’s Rouge Heel, ranging from all-time favourites like sweet pinks and sexy reds and there’s even a few more avant garde hues like purples and deep burgundy to play around with and change up your looks. The colours simply glide on effortlessly depositing the creamiest, most vivid pigments with just one touch, so befitting of the lipstick’s tagline: One click, one swipe. Now that’s what we call instant lipstick gratification.

4 / ALL THE EXTRAS

There are so many bonuses we have come to expect from our lipsticks – a moisturising feeling, long-lasting colour, lip-smoothing effects, even finish, and the ability to keep lips supple and soft. Clio’s Rouge Heel promises all the above thanks to micronised pigment dispersion technology to give the high colour payoff and a smooth, glide on sensation. Plus, it boasts a flexible film former and velvet powder complex in the formula that helps the colour move seamlessly with your lips, stay put all day, yet feel weightless and super comfortable.

Finally, the ability to dress our lips in sensual, vivid colours and feel absolutely comfortable while we’re at it. How absolutely perfect for the year-end festive season approaching where we want to play with new colours and also be pampered with luxe formulas at the same time.

5 / THE SHAPE OF THE LIPSTICK BULLET

Apart from the texture and feel of the formula and all its benefits, the shape of a lipstick’s bullet is also super important to its application and wearability. A lipstick can have the best formula but if it came in a stout, flat shaped bullet, you’ll still struggle to apply it properly. That’s why Rouge Heel shouts about its innovative bullet shape. The tip is shaped like a diamond with a steep slant cut and a super pointed tip. The slant surface hugs the curve of the lips perfectly, while the fine tips allows for precise application on the cupid’s bow and corners of the lips without the use of a lip brush – now that’s what’s really sexy about this lipstick.

Clio Rouge Heel, $25.90 each, is available at selected Watsons stores.

Brought to you by Clio