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Oil on card by Celia Turner. My beloved grandma always wore red lipstick, she would not leave the house without a full face of make-up crowned by her lush red lips. It must be in my genes because for as long as I've been wearing lipstick (which is a long time) it's been red. Now it's Alarm by Rimmel to walk the dog around the park and Gabrielle by Chanel for special occasions. Chanel lipsticks are an extra special treat as they come in lovely little boxes tucked into lovely little Chanel bags. A beautiful present to yourself. Although this doesn't apply to me, red lips have been seen for centuries as a stamp of immorality. In more God- fearing medieval times, it was believed that creating a plump sexualised mouth would take you on a one-way ticket to the devil's doorway. Several hundred years later, Parliament passed a law condemning lipstick, considering it a sign of witchcraft. Good job I wasn't alive in those times, yet another reason to pop me on the

British Vogue November 1925 You have been warned! "There are no ugly women, only lazy ones," declared Helena Rubinstein, one of the great pioneers of the cosmetic industry. Well, nothing requires more effort or precision than perfect red lips or fabulously manicured crimson talons. But then nothing has quite so great an effect on transforming the face and hands. Properly painted lips and nails, saturated with scarlet, speak volumes about the way you regard yourself in terms of the outside world. They are nothing less than a red flag for impeccable glamour. How maddening is it then when your absolute favourite lipstick is brutally discontinued? I am still mourning my Chanel Lune Rousse no:36. (92200 Neuilly)