Matte! A lipstick called light bright does not exist,” my father calls me up, anguished, from a make-up counter at an airport. “Those words were just a description for you. It’s not an actual colour. Papa, pick up something pink,” I respond, trying not to laugh. Five hours later, and after nearly missing his flight, he comes back home with a mauve lip gloss. God bless his heart. Some men know make-up. Some men wear make-up.
My father falls in neither of the two categories; regularly talks to me about how modern capitalism is broken, and that I don’t need 800 variations of the “same” shade of lipstick. Again, bless his heart. To my lovely readers, especially the lost and confused ones who still haven’t found a perfect present for the beauty and make-up junkie in your life, understand that every woman is different. The Herculean task ahead can be broken down so you don’t mess it up.
It is awfully easy to get lost in the world of gilded packaging and shiny makeup, though all you need is a credit card and a proactive approach. If your girlfriend makes her own candles in your kitchen, cooks food for you that you would have never eaten on your own (for the record, it’s pronounced keenwa) and is into Feng Shui (stop butchering the word, it is fung shwa) a safe make-up direction for you to take would be a cruelty-free, vegan brand. Double check that the brushes included are made of synthetic hair rather than squirrel hair (yes, squirrel hair) that several houses use.
Do your research and see what colours she usually wears. Stick to them. Perhaps the make-up lover in your life works too much. Maybe the only dates that you have are during her lunch breaks, you want to make sure that she is relaxed and rejuvenated. Help her stress hives with a soothing Moroccan treatment or a bath oil so she leaves her bath feeling like a new woman, who is not so stressed about her deadlines that she forgets to eat. Chanel No. 5 has the most luxurious, sweet-smelling variant.
You probably didn’t know that Marilyn Monroe wore this scent, but trust me when I say that she does. A safe bet for an outdoorsy, in-thewoods or on-a-beach partner is something to let her know that you care about protecting the face that you love so much. Adventures can take a toll on your skin, look for intensive moisturisers (hello, Tom Ford!) or literally anything with the words hydrating or replenishing plastered on them.
For all the clueless, adorable men still reading this: I will leave you with my last relationship-saving advice. Never buy your girlfriend concealer. Unless you want to spend an hour apologising and possibly get dumped. Concealer does exactly what it says: hide spots and cover them up. She is going to think you’re telling her that she has bad skin, and that is a terrible way of letting her know that you care.