If you are ordering makeup from a catalogue for the first time, start here. A Faberlic lip gloss carries almost no risk: there is no skin tone to match, the product sits over your own lip colour, and a shade that is slightly off still looks intentional. Foundation punishes a guess. Gloss forgives one.

Reading the finishes

Clear gloss — shine and dimension, essentially no colour. Wearable over anything, including a lipstick you find too matte.

Tinted gloss — medium colour payoff, enough to wear alone in daylight.

Shimmer and pearl — reflective particles that make lips look fuller. The trade-off is honesty: shimmer highlights dry patches and flaking rather than hiding them.

Treatment glosses with oils feel best on the lips and last the least. That is the deal, not a defect.

Shade ranges rotate with the campaign cycle, which runs roughly every three weeks, so check the current line-up on faberlic.com.

Choosing by your own lip colour

  • Naturally pale, cool-toned lips take pink, berry and cool-shimmer clears well
  • Warm, peachy lips suit caramel, apricot and warm nudes
  • Deeply pigmented lips will overpower most tinted glosses — a clear gloss over your natural colour looks better than fighting it
  • For a fuller look, a light shimmer gloss dabbed only in the centre of the lower lip does more than a full coat

Stickiness and staying power

Stickiness is what makes a gloss glossy. The viscosity that produces a mirror shine is the same thing you feel on your lips, so a completely non-tacky gloss is usually a thinner, shorter-lived one.

Realistic wear is two to three hours without eating or drinking. No brand's glossy formula is transfer-proof — that is chemistry, not price.

Getting more out of it

  1. Exfoliate gently once or twice a week; gloss lies evenly only on smooth lips
  2. Balm first, let it absorb, blot the excess
  3. For stronger colour, line the lips first and layer gloss on top

Persistent cracking, peeling or sore corners is not something gloss should be asked to cover — that one is worth seeing a doctor about.

Other categories in the range are covered in the reviews section.