I was sold on the Clinique Lip Pop Colour and Primer Lipstick the moment I first put one on – it has just the most buttery, smooth and sumptuous texture and the colours are punchy and bright. Application is almost foolproof. If ever there was a “lipstick for learners” then this, perhaps along with Chanel’s Rouge Coco, would be it.

Pre-testing, I did think that the whole “primer and lipstick in one” claim would be a bit of a gimmick, but the formula is properly smoothing, as though you’ve already applied a good, matte lipbalm underneath that’s helping everything to look that much more polished. The colour seems to skim over dry or mildly flaky patches and it’s buttery and moisturising without the slightest bit of sliding about.

A few of my favourite shades for you… Here I am before and after applying shade 04, which is called Beige Pop:

To me, this is the most perfect pinky-nude – it’s opaque but not chalky-matte, it has a modern sheen without looking gloopy or patent.

Some may prefer a more “my lips but better” kind of nude, like the one shown below. This one (shade 01) is called Nude Pop. It’s slightly more wearable than Beige Pop, probably, especially if you don’t want to have to pile on a load of mascara and eyeliner, which is often what has to happen to balance out pale nude lips!

I wanted to show you Melon Pop, second from the right in the photograph below, but I seem to have mislaid my pictures! Annoying, because it is, perhaps, my favourite of the bunch. I’ve sent most of my makeup back into storage until I can move into my house later on this summer, otherwise I’d photograph it again for you.

As it stands, you’ll have to make do with me wearing my favourite bright-bright shade from the Lip Pop collection, Poppy Pop.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-wear red then this is it. It doesn’t bleed into fine lines around the mouth, it doesn’t make your teeth look yellow and, with its little bit of juicy sheen, it helps to make thin lips look a teeny bit fuller. Which is a bonus.

Also a bonus: the £16 price tag. For a lipstick with a faultless finish, I’d say that’s pretty good value for money. Find all of the shades at Boots.com here.