‘The consequences we fear enslave us with inaction.’ - Liam Gammalliere (‘Lipgloss’, Preface) Set against the regeneration of East London, ‘Lipgloss’ follows the life of a seventeen-year-old girl in December 2011. Fraught with anxiety and indecision, she’s shaped by her closest relationships. As she struggles to carve out her own identity into womanhood, she finds herself caught up in the tensions between Nancy – her vivacious best friend, similar in as many ways as she is different; and James – her distrustful boyfriend, embittered by an unfaithful ex-girlfriend. Flashbacks reveal how much the unspoken pain of her past continues to haunt her, until circumstances reach a point from which they may never return. ‘Lipgloss’ is an exploration of contemporary relationships and the effects of social media on individuals and society.