The truth is out - women keep a lot of out-dated rubbish in their make-up bags. A leading cosmetic company, obviously trying to encourage us to ditch the old and buy some of their new products, have done a survey, which indicates that women, for example, are very reluctant to part with a well-used lipstick even if its probably a health hazard; their blusher compacts can be up to two years old and the bag is the favourite place for their headache pills!

Britney Spears always carries a blemish stick - her mum apparently is trying to get her to stop eating rubbish, Victoria Beckham would never be seen dead without her lip-liner pencil and many other celebrities, such as Joan Collins, obviously like the glossy lip look. Their handbags must be weighed down with the stuff.

So a snap look at the contents of some bags not far away from this desk revealed the following:

Arts Correspondent Liz Kennedy . . .

Pendant

Liz carries no less than five lipsticks around, which dictates the size of her make-up bag. She says: "I couldn't live without my lipstick. I can leave the house with no cash, phone, or handbag, but lipstick is my life. I find Rimmel Bordeaux and Maybelline Plum shine are good.

I don't like foundation, but I also have a tube of Clarins tinted moisturiser, colour blond, in the bag. Great for summer.

I also carry a lip-balm I bought in New York, called Reese's milk-chocolate peanut butter cup.

Tastes good too.''

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Designer Ruth Brolly . . .

Ruth, who designs these pages says the most important item in her bag is her powder compact. Being fair skinned she likes soft shades. Ruth says: "My portable make-up bag may be minimal, but that's no reflection on the sack-full I start out with in the morning.

"I swear by Vichy tinted moisturiser and bourgeois eye-shadows and blusher, which, once applied, stay in place all day.

So as long as I have my face powder, to correct a shiny complexion and a little lipstick, I'm pretty much armed . .

Lifestyles Editor Sandra Chapman . . .

The most important item in my own bag is the Estee Lauder LipZone anti-feathering complex, which is applied before lipstick, to keep it intact. For some reason I'm carrying around a small pot of concealer, which looks quite ancient and, in more recent times, I've also taken a shine to Clarins lip gloss.

A slake of it can make you feel as glamorous
embroidered patches as Liz Hurley.

There's a well-worn Estee Lauder lip liner/lip brush - probably a health hazard. My lone lipstick is from Marks and Spencer and the brush is to get at the bits in the very bottom, because I was taught to be thrifty and like to use every last brushful. Sometimes lipsticks can cost as much as pounds 14 each, so a brush is a good investment.

I have a two-tone blusher compact by Estee Lauder (minus brush) which comes with its own mirror and the rubbish includes two parking receipts.

And how often do we change the bags? Not very often according to the research. In fact bags themselves can be a health hazard, mostly caused by lipsticks, the tops of which can come adrift in the bag. Still, if the lips look nice, does it really matter?

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