How To Make Your Own Lipgloss

Are you a TOWIE or a MIC girl?

The look is anything but subtle and takes hours - plus a hefty pay cheque for the uninitiated - to perfect.

So it's no wonder I'm nervous - my idea of glamming up for a night out consists of brushing my hair and running a wobbly slick of eyeliner along my lids.

But what the hell, you're either Witham or against them. Essex me up real nice, ladies.

I meet Sam and Billie at their clothing boutique in Brentwood after two hours perfecting my hair and make-up - and almost as long spent slathering on the kind of deep brown tan you see on garden furniture.

Sam is tall and lithe while Billie is small with curves in all the right places. Both girls have a glossy sheen to them - teeth and eyes that sparkle and incredible skin - and they project a girly, gossipy charm that embraces me straightaway.

They are quick to share the confessional hang-ups through which women bond: Billie worries aloud that her dress is too short and Sam admits she hates her arms.

I, on the other hand, feel flawless. Sam is jealous of my long eyelashes - applied with a forklift in the studio earlier - and Billie takes snaps of my hairdo so she can copy it for her next big party.

Their boutique Minnie's has only been open a matter of weeks but it is already a huge success, with teen girls flocking in to snap up the shop's cheaper goods or even just a carrier bag with the store's logo on it.

There is a cosy family feel to the place with the girls' mum on the till and all three women keen to help me choose a knock-'em-dead gown.

As I cram my curves into a series of diamante-encrusted numbers, I ask them what makes Essex girls so special.

"I think they tend to take pride in how they look," says Billie. "Everyone likes to have their nails done and their hair blow-dried.

Sam adds: "I'd call our look fashionable glam - the idea is to make the most of yourself no matter what size or shape you are.

"Essex boys traditionally love a girl with big hair, big make-up and big boobs but I think they also like a girl who respects herself, looks after herself and is a bit reserved and mysterious - the ideal would be a girl who is clearly too good for them!

"TOWIE girls like to be wined and dined so they dress accordingly. It takes me an hour and a half to get ready most days but I have been known to leave the house in no make-up and flat shoes."

The girls' style icons are J-Lo and Victoria Beckham but they confess to being as happy in designer clothes as high street finds from H&M, Mango or even Tesco (great for bikinis, apparently).

Beauty Bargain Tips: Make Your Own Lip Gloss

Step 1 -Add the petroleum jelly, the sugary substance, honey and the hot water into the plastic mixing bowl.

Step 2 - Next add the glitter and the drops of abstract into the mixture. Let your gloss cool for 5 minutes.

Step 3 – Transfer the mixture into a small plastic container with a lid.

Finally, apply your cool and inexpensive lip gloss concoction to your lips regularly for a glossy shine. Want luminous lips? Swipe a sheer-colored lip gloss over your dark red or plum lipstick colors to make your pucker shimmer and shine!

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