If manners maketh a man, does makeup maketh a woman? 

It can embolden and deliver a direct hit of self esteem. It can supercharge your career, turn the heads (not stomachs) of potential dates and make you look more pulled together than you might feel. It can, in short, change your life. Thanks to years spent hanging out with photographers, hairdressers and makeup artists, mostly killing time at shoots I’ve picked up a few tips of the trade, aka makeup 101. Do I use them, though? Not always. In fact, hardly ever, only really when I’m on a show or when I was on my TV show, but the TV kind of makeup only looked good from a distance, say 100 miles! 

But if women don’t keep up with fashion we’re soon judged to be past our amuse-by date. Research, although admittedly done by big makeup companies, has got me rethinking my makeup apathy. Studies have discovered that makeup greatly affects how we are perceived. Women who wear makeup appear more competent, likeable and trustworthy. Our instinct to groom is innate and it can bolster self-assurance and channel creativity.  The message isn’t “the real you is so hideous it needs to be covered” but that to invest in makeup is about self-care. Psychology for dummies tells us that taking care of your appearance is often a sign of confidence and how you value yourself. 

So should we think of our makeup as we do our clothes? The higher fashion powers that be issue an edict and off we run, hunting for lingerie inspired daywear, overalls, culottes, there’s no look that’s too ludicrous. Thankfully makeup trends are steadier and have more longevity! Yes, slick of liquid liner and voluminising mascara is as emboldening and empowering as a five inch stiletto? 

As for a no-make-up selfie post at 40, if it had been sent to the House of Horrors, I’d have received a job offer. 

So, to you all, I say: rekindle your romance with lipstick, fall back in love with blush. Because the simple truth is that if you look good, you feel good.