You beauty! Annabel Rivkin's cabinet of wonders

The bloom of youth. The flush of flirtation. The demure blush of the bashful. Adorable, all of the above. So adorable, in fact, that one wants to reproduce it even when feeling old, frigid or shameless.

Smooth apricot cheeks are the aim, particularly during the summer months because this orangey hue works so well with daylight and a gentle tan.

Gladiola Convertible Color by Stila (thankfully relaunching in the UK this month) looks alarming in the pot because it is literally neon orange. It looks like finger paint rather than something restrained and delicate and understated, which is what it becomes on contact with the skin. As the vivid brightness of the blusher in the case suggests, you need very little but what you do apply is marvellously malleable. Cheek tints, such as Benefit's new mango-coloured Cha Cha Tint, are gorgeous if you are super-confident but once it's on, it's on. And it's staying put. With a creamy product like Gladiola you can lift off the excess. I never powder over the top because glow is what we are going for here, although don't forget to blot your forehead and chin because that's not glow, it's shine.

Gladiola makes for a very pretty lip colour, too, but I think matching lips and cheeks are as much of a mistake as matching shoes and bags. No collar and cuff jokes please. That's just childish. And you might make me blush: a gentle and incredibly attractive blush
Stila Convertible Color in Gladiola, £16 (0845 0035 330)