First we ladies lined up to blast our faces with diamonds, now we may smear our lips with red gems thanks to Rouge G, the luxurious new lipstick from Guerlain. Containing finely milled ruby powder, it is said the power of this precious ingredient will ensure Rouge G imparts unrivaled radiance.

Obtained via a complex process that firstly grinds rubies then interacts them with ultraviolet light before enhancing their light reflecting properties with glass microbeads, the Rouge G formula is rich and sophisticated in more ways than one.

Inspired by a desire to create a “new mysterious beauty icon that united the qualities of a powder case, a jewel and the most precious lipstick”, Guerlain’s Creative Director Olivier Echaudemaison enlisted the expertise of jeweler Lorenz Baumer to bring his vision to the fore.

While from my perspective the lipstick its self is an irresistible enough innovation, Baumer’s packaging, which fuses the time-honored features of antique compact casings with modern technology, is the very essence of Rouge G the formula: sleek yet refined and startlingly beautiful.

Given the beauty industry’s prime objective is to appeal to our inner-addict - we of little willpower – the release of Rouge G only confirms it has very nearly covered all bases, what with the plethora of sugar scrubs and caffeine infused cellulite treatments on the market plus the aforementioned diamond-dust exfoliation method. And of course lest we forget our favourite trace elements, lead and arsenic. Whatever next?