In beauty - as in fashion, food and politics - there's no such thing as an original idea. Makeup is just an assortment of coloured powders and waxes to smear on your face in a decorative manner; innovative formulations aside, that's all it will ever be.

When you think of makeup, you think of lipstick -- lipstick and blush, probably. Lipstick is a cornerstone of everyone's beauty routine and an essential to every beauty bag. It's one of the few products that can finish a look, or be a look all on its own. With so many lip products available, finding the right product for you can be a challenge, but finding the perfect shade and formula is always, always worth the leg work. Let me help!

You know that little pop of colour you see at the bottom of certain lipstick tubes? It turns out it's not just there to help you pick a shade; it actually contains a little bit of bonus lip gloss.

Swiping on a red lip is the easiest way to spruce up your face and feel a bit fancy, but wearing the same colour over and over again can get a bit boring. Luckily, Marie Claire has five great tips for spicing up your red lip quickly and easily.

If you want to define your top lip with the perfect "cupid's bow", start by drawing an "X" as a guideline. This trick will help you get the shape you want with just one extra step at the start.

Lipstick looks sexy on lips, but kind of gross on glassware. "Not wearing lipstick" may seem like the obvious solution, but with all the holiday cocktail parties coming up, that's unlikely to happen. Luckily, there's a quick fix for this problem: give the glass a little lick.