During one of my beauty-floor wanders, I came across Givenchy’s Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip & Cheek Balm. I am personally of the 'more is more' philosophy when it comes to lip balms, and this one both looked attractively compact and promised to render a delicate stain-like color without too much fuss (and hey, I'm always down for a little magic mouth glow). So, I bought it and promptly forgot about it as it bungled around in the bottom of my purse with a thousand other potted balms and salves and tubes of who knows what, which I carry, you know, just in case. But (and there's always a but) I re-found it the other day and it’s been a staple ever since. On the lips, the balm turns just the right rosy pink—not too faux-fluoro, just a healthy pink tinge, and it’s glossy, not sticky. Givenchy says the color comes from “pigments that react with the skin’s humidity' for a personalized tint, which makes about as much sense to me as mood rings or “magic,” so let’s stick with that. I use it strictly on my mouth because I don’t love the idea of putting something gloss-based on my cheeks, but I bet it would look nice there, too (lest you forget, Diane Kendal applied lipstick on the cheeks at Proenza for a sheer hint of color, with sheen, and she knows what she’s doing).

I know that it’s unwise to recommend a lip color (or any other color, for that matter) as being ‘universally flattering’: skintones and textures vary, as do hair and eyes...We’re all snowflakes, right? I celebrate your uniqueness! (It also comes in a more orange-based “peach!”) HOWEVER, I am confident that this balm will look good on pretty much every soul with two lips and a desire for them to be pink and glossy. I've been trying to put it on everyone at ITG today to prove this theory and, though most have resisted, I'm still certain of this: the future is looking rosy.

—Alessandra Codinha

[Update : Ask and you shall receive...before [2] and after [3] shots.]