I love my spring collection of lip glosses, light and sheer or drenched with color. But my new favorite lip makeup right now is my Line Stylist Lipliner by Maybelline.

For a long time my favorite eye liner was a Line Stylist. It’s time to get a new one, or two, as I used it so much it’s just about gone.

What makes these liners so great is the fine, precision line they make. The twist-up mechanism makes the liners self-sharpening and you get a very thin and easy-to-control tip.

The lipliner has a slanted tip for better application. It’s also enriched with Vitamin E so it glides on smooth and creamy and of course, prevents feathering and bleeding of your lip color. For lipstick I would line only the outer line of lips but for glosses, apply over the entire lip to make a base that will extend the wear time of the gloss.

Maybelline’s new Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor is a gloss with a unique delivery system.

A twist of the wand produces just the right amount of gloss and the shaped tip ensures perfect application. It seems a lot easier and less messy than the traditional sponge-tipped wands that you dip into the tube of gloss. They increase the risk of bacteria being introduced into the product as well as sometimes leaving you with a huge glop of gloss to try to spread evenly.

Shine Seduction is enriched with vitamin E, aqua-botanical extracts, algae and lotus flower extract so that it is truly good for your lips and you get a fresh and healthy dose of gloss with each application.

It comes in both cream and shimmer shades, 20 different shades in all. From Nude Glow to Cherry Drizzle, all are rich in color and shine.

Avon’s Beyond Color Lip Recovery Cream promises softer lips with allantoin, vitamins, jojoba oil and beta carotene in a formula with a “Moisture Lock System” that even contains a sunscreen.

The lipcolor delivery system is something like the one they used on a liquid eyeliner that “exploded” on me, so I was a bit wary of that. This twist-up color works a bit more smoothly so perhaps they have ironed out the kinks in the system. The color is dispensed via a brush at the end of the tube through which it seeps as you twist the wand. The two remaining difficulties with this delivery system is that you don’t know how much product is in the brush until it comes through in a large blob and that the product remaining on the brush gets hardened bits in it after a time of no usage. You do get used to the wand and after a few applications you will no longer get either too little product or a goopy blob.

This lip cream does have very intense color for a liquid formula and it is creamy and smooth-feeling on your lips, much thicker than I expected. I tried Creamy Nude which was a lovely neutral but not invisible. The color wears a decent length of time, making the need for reapplication less frequent. It has a nice, fresh scent reminiscent of cucumber and melon, which lasts a short time after application.

I noticed a bit of exfoliation of dry skin the first time I used it, which worried me about getting into a cycle of use such as you get with medicated lip balms, but this dissipated with each use until it was no longer noticeable. The allantoin in the formula promotes new, healthy skin growth and this may have been a by-product of that process.

After three days my lips definitely feel softer but I think I would continue wearing this just for the color, which I love. It comes in a host of shades, so finding one you like is not a difficult task. One caution is that I would definitely recommend that you apply lip liner first to keep the color where you want it.

Overall, I liked this product and will continue to use it. I have added it to my little bag of essential neutrals.

Busy schedules often mean a hurried application of standard makeup before we rush out of the house or maybe applying our makeup after we get to the office. This usually means we have stand-by makeup that we always apply regardless of whether it is appropriate or creates the best look. This lipstick, that blush, the usual mascara, even eyeshadow may look great some days and be all wrong for others depending on our clothing choices, the lighting we will be in or even the amount of natural light.

No-one can carry a full case of all possible colors of lipstick, blush and eyeshadow, nor do we have time always to choose carefully. So to avoid the no makeup day, we throw on anything in our path so we can make our daily deadlines.

The solution is to have a few carefully selected makeup products in neutral shades that work well in any situation and lighting. Neutral colors will go with any outfit or color scheme.

The essentials should include eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, and blush. Eyeshadow is optional as the right blush can be used as shadow in a pinch. Choose a neutral shade of blush with only a hint of color - my current favorite is Avon’s Earthen Rose. A light bronzer powder can substitute for blush and shadow as well. Eyeliner in a neutral, brown or brown-black - not a colored liner. Mascara in brown or brown-black. Choose a lipcolor that is a complimentary shade, not too far from your natural skin tones but with a little warmth. If you include an eyeshadow in a pinky beige with a hint of shimmer, your eyes will stand out without being noticeably made-up.

Have these items in a separate small cosmetic bag that fits in any purse and you will be ready to face any day.