I want glittery lips like Naomi Campbell for the holidays. Can you point me in the direction of the right lippy ASAP? I’m so excited, I’m this close to stealing glitter from my daughter’s arts and crafts drawer! Party Pout, Tai Tam
The Dictator rules: You jest, but that method wouldn’t be too far from the truth. It’s what burlesque performers and drag queens have been doing for years. One step up would be theatre make-up glitter for face and body from local sources such as Ivy League (HK$32 to HK$70; www.ivyleague.com.hk). You should also consider a cosmetic adhesive product such as Lit Cosmetics Forever Wear glitter for lips, brows or face (HK$93; www.lit-cosmetics.myshopify.com).
Ms Campbell, of course, had it done by famous make-up artist Pat McGrath for the 2016 Video Music Awards. McGrath’s Lust 004 lip kit is available in Vermillion Venom, Bloodwine and Flesh palettes. Each kit includes two lipsticks, a clear vinyl gloss, metallic gold pigment and microfine glitter. Patmcgrath.com sold out long ago, but go there anyway for application instructions. Weirdly, if you go to sephora.com and change the country setting to Canada, you’ll be able to order the kit for about HK$413.
Although the fashion media may make it seem like you have only one option, McGrath has not cornered the market on sparkly lips. This year, British reality-television series Dragons’ Den featured Glitter Lips by Beauty Boulevard, a set of gloss bond, applicator and your choice of one of 16 shades of glitter (HK$121; www.beautyboulevard.com).
Our cynical takeaway: don’t try this look if you plan to drink, eat, kiss or even smile a lot. Breathing might be OK.
I love chains! I’ve got an embarrassing number of chain necklaces, bracelets, earrings and belts piling up in my tiny Hong Kong flat. Next, I’d love a bag with a cool, different sort of chain strap, and I definitely want to avoid that Chanel old-lady type! Chain Reaction, Clear Water Bay
Burberry Ruffle Buckle Bag
The Dictator: Shame on you. You should be so lucky as to have a Chanel 2.55 bag. It’s a classic and a staple for every stylish and/or wealthy woman. Anyway, if you’d bothered to look, you’d have noticed that Chanel’s bag range encompasses much more than that. Your loss.
Moschino by Jeremy Scott has mastered the tongue-in-cheek spoof with a lookalike in black, pink or red leather printed to resemble quilting with cartoonish branding and a gold and leather chain strap (HK$6,995 and up). Burberry has the Ruffle Buckle Bag in multicoloured snakeskin, ostrich and calfskin, with gold-tone hardware and a chain strap of large periwinkle acrylic links (HK$26,500).
A Chanel 2.5 bag.
Another traditional luxury brand that has gone handbag wild is Gucci. Naturally, it’s maintained some of its iconic collections, but the current Dionysus-inspired line offers the brand’s signature taupe monogrammed canvas decorated with rainbow-coloured sequin appliques of motifs such as lightning bolts and lips, with a burnished silver clasp and chain strap (HK$33,800). Indeed, the brand has many alternative designs featuring chains, including the nouveau-preppy Sylvie series of bags, with striped grosgrain ribbon, gold-tone chains sewn onto the top flap and chain straps (HK$18,000 and up). Nancy Gonzalez has wrapped her metal chain straps in coloured leather, as seen on her crocodile-leather Gio bags (HK$28,800; Lane Crawford).
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