Months of being bombarded by Barbie paraphernalia has given me an aversion to full-on pink. And yet, I find an all-pink makeup look irresistible. It’s romantic, fresh and it comes with a youthful air and the promise of spring. It works across skin tones and ages. The trick is to vary the tones: a deep pink lip, brownish pink around the eyes, rose pink on the cheeks. This way, you won’t look like you are trying to pay homage to the billion-dollar movie. Although, if you are, be my guest.
1. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Icon Lipstick in Red Carpet Pink £27, charlottetilbury.com
2. Mecca Cosmetics Lip De-licious Balm £20, meccacosmetica.com
3. Vieve Eye Wand in Rose £23, vieve.co.uk
4. Chanel Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette in Cool £53, chanel.com
5. Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Blush in Pink Dahlia £28, anastasiabeverlyhills.com
I can’t do without… A rich black mascara that’s the total package
Like politics or money, it turns out opening up a conversation about mascara quickly becomes emotive. From the width of the bristles, length of the wand and the texture of the product to how well it withstands extreme temperatures (summer in Dubai, don’t ask) and extreme emotions (intense break-up tears – again, don’t ask), the conversations I’ve had around what constitutes the perfect mascara are far ranging, polarising and in some cases puzzling. (I don’t care what anyone says, a long thin wand is an accident waiting to happen.) And so I embark on extolling the joys of Rare Beauty’s mascara with trepidation. But also conviction. It is easily one of the best mascaras I have used. The wand – medium in width and length – is easy to handle. (Thin wands require a certain amount of precision and stillness. No good when you have 5 minutes to apply your makeup and dash for the train.) The brush is wonderfully robust, distributes the castor oil infused formula evenly, leaving you with fuller – not clumpy – conditioned lashes. Also, the bristles are soft but solid without being scratchy; I used one mascara recently that felt like a cat clawing at my eyes. The colour is also great – a lovely rich unapologetic black that is buildable, stays on all day and doesn’t flake. There are different ideas of what makes a great mascara but with Rare Beauty’s Perfect Strokes, I don’t know what more you could ask for. Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumnising Mascara, £21, spacenk.com
On my radar… Potions to help you look and smell fabulous
Brighten up Melyon was created to address issues faced by darker skin tones, but its brilliant formulations – like this nourishing and brightening cream – work wonders on anyone. Melyon Day Cream, £35, melyon.co
Come closer This left-of-centre scent includes notes of pink pepper, cardamom, salted musk and a clean sheet accord you’ll want to wrap up in. Pleasing Closeness Eau de Parfum, £135, pleasing.com
Shiny hair club Fans of this oil that increases shine and decreases breakage will be pleased to see it in a bigger bottle. Olaplex No7 Bonding Oil 60ml, £51, uk.ola plex.com
Follow Funmi on X @FunmiFetto