MAXINE GORDON discovers how to create the perfect pout

NO glam look is complete without the perfect pout.

Your little black dress, killer heels and statement necklace will only take you so far in creating the perfect party vision.

What a woman really, really wants is a fabulous set of lips, full of the X factor.

Which is why I’ve made an appointment at Nars, at John Lewis, in York – the New York brand's first outpost in the city.

What this cosmetic firm doesn’t know about lips isn’t worth knowing.

Make-up artist Francois Nars launched his eponymous cosmetic company 20 years ago with just 12 lipsticks, in luxurious, beautiful packaging.

Today, the company sells a complete line of colour cosmetics, and is a favourite with the fashion pack.

For the 20th birthday, Nars has unveiled its Audacious range of lipsticks, 30 new shades that are richly pigmented (what you see is what you get) and highly moisturising.

Veteran movie actress Charlotte Rampling, aged 65, is the “face” of the new campaign – signalling that Nars is a product for women across the generations.

Unsurprisingly, the people at Nars (and indeed any make-up house) will tell you there is a knack to applying the lipstick.

At Nars it all beings with an application of the instant line and pore perfector, a soft, balm-like product that creates a base for the colour to come.

“It also evens out lip texture, fine lines and creates a plumper look,” explains Nars make-up artist Samantha Miller, who rubs the product over my lip line.

Next, she artfully uses a lip pencil to outline my lips. The beauty of doing this, she says, is that you can correct any imperfections in the lip shape, creating a symmetrical finish.

Samantha uses a brush to blend in the outline, which is just as well. We’d gone for bright red party lips and the liner Jungle Red (a Nars best seller) was quite a statement. The Jungle Red lipstick was applied next, but we weren’t finished.

“Francois always says lips should have two things, definition a dimension, says Samantha. We’d created the definition, now what was needed was some dimension, the idea being to bring the lips to life, perfect for all those Christmas parties.

Samantha decided to add a touch of orange to the middle of the lip – using the Timafaya Satin lip pencil - and finished with a smear of red lip gloss in Eternal.

To give extra definition, Samantha then used a fine brush to paint some concealer (Custard Radiant Creamy Concealer) around my lip line and blended it into my skin.

All I need now is for that party invitation to arrive.

* Nars at John Lewis, York, offers a complimentary make-over service for customers. Booking is advisable. The Audacious range is available now and also features a range of gel lip liners in 12 different shades.