GLANCING over to the adjacent car I observed the occupants in kinks of laughter looking my way.
Realising that I hadn't intentionally unleashed my powers of funniness to solicit such a reaction, I surveyed my car for the source of the joviality.
My then three-year-old son had pilfered my brand new red lipstick and smeared it all over his lips. It was impossible to be mad at that huge, blotchy, red grin.
I love lipstick. It instantly makes me feel better and it's one of the first things that women say they want to try on after they get their new teeth fitted.
How can such a seemingly small item pack such a punch and endure for millennia?
Lipstick has come a long way from Ancient Greece when prostitutes were required by law to use red lippy so that there should be no confusion between them and women of the upper classes.
Procter & Gamble demonstrated a more modern perception of lipstick when their research found out that people who wore lipstick were perceived as more competent and reliable.
Whether you are wearing lipstick for fun, for impact, or a confidence booster, the colour of your teeth matters when you are choosing lipstick. For example, if your teeth are on the yellowy scale, stay clear of lipsticks with an orangey tinge as they tend to make your teeth appear even more yellow.
Choosing lipstick with blue-based tones gives teeth an instant pick-me-up. The blue base in the lipstick cancels out any yellow or orange hues that radiate from teeth.
Pinks and purples make the teeth boogie in the light and the darker the lipstick the lighter the teeth will look in comparison.
But all this colour fun is ruined if the lipstick sticks to the teeth, luckily now there are advanced lipstick formulae that reduce the chance of this social faux pas.
If you are really feeling disheartened with your teeth and feel that they are not lipstick ready, ask your dentist for the best way to achieve that white smile.
Let's give Elizabeth Taylor the last wise word on lipstick: "Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together."
