Article #7862

These new lipsticks are so beautifully muted that even the colour-shy and faint-hearted will carry them off

I have always said there’s a perfect red lipstick for every colouring, but not necessarily one for every disposition. I’ve had cause to reconsider. The new sheer, barely-there reds take the boldest, most classic of makeup looks and make it muted and unselfconsciously wearable by even the faint-hearted.

Merit’s entire brand is about understated makeup for the aesthetically cool, time-poor woman. Naturally, they’ve made her the perfect no-effort red. The new Signature Lip Blush (£25), a soft, very comfortable lip balm with a natural matt finish, is probably Merit’s cleverest formula to date. And with Kitten Heel, a classic, sheer, tomatoey red, it manages to make bold colour look as subtle as a nude. It’s so pretty and face-brightening without pulling focus that even the colour-shy will feel inconspicuous.