Getting Cheeky: Bold Lipped Bandits Do Summer Sheers

Among the Lipstick Bandits "sheer lipstick" is considered a bit of an oxymoron. I may be one of the more timid wearers of color in a group of women that are certainly not afraid to rock bold lips. However, sheer lipstick can be a convenient tool not only for those of us who are uncomfortable wearing bright colors, but also on hot summer days when a high maintenance fuchsia lipstick just seems like too much work!

For me nothing says "summer sheer" quite like Number 17's Mirror Shine lipsticks. Though I regret to report that this specific line of makeup is not available in the United States, the popularity of glossy lipstick hybrids means that just about any brand from L'Orèal to Chanel now offers something similar.

(Bottom to top): Number 17 Mirror Shine lipstick in Beehive, Sugar Daddy

Many of these lipsticks--Number 17's incarnation among them--are essentially lip glosses in a tube form, a concept that comes in quite handy for those who eschew gloss all together. For many of us, though, this means that pigmented lips can get in the way of enjoying paler hues. To avoid missing out on sheer shades, I apply a thin layer of foundation to my lips with a Beauty Blender sponge when I know I'll be wearing a lip product whose color I'd like to enhance. Below I'm wearing Number 17's Mirror Shine lipstick in Sugar Daddy over a thin application of Bourjois foundation.