Here lip gloss does not come out of a tube but out of separate ingredients. This box from Clementoni's Wetenschap & Spel LAB range contains a cream base, coloured powder and a 10 ml bottle of strawberry aroma, plus a small spatula and a handful of pots to keep the result in.
The mixing is the game: measuring out powder, stirring in the aroma and seeing which colour comes out. The box calls that experimenting with cosmetic science, and the illustrated manual takes your child through every step, so an eight-year-old can largely manage alone.
The pots are the second half of the appeal. They are shaped like a cut gem or a little heart and hang on a cord, so they can travel as a pendant or be given away. The packaging states 8+; made in Italy.
A present for a child who likes mixing, measuring and crafting, and who would rather make something than buy it.
