The best cheek and lip colours: A subtle flush of colour is all you need to keep things perky

Convertible colour in fuchsia, 19, £16, stila.co.uk

When heading off for another day at the coalface, it can be tempting to lug around half the contents of a beauty counter in your handbag just in case, but a subtle flush of colour on cheeks and lips is usually all you need to keep things perky when you feel yourself beginning to flag.

If you don't have the luxury of a tea trolley to provide a medicinal cream bun and a cup of builder's, keep one of these multi-taskers on hand to combat the dreaded 4pm slump in style.

Cheekmate cheek & lip stain in rosy glow

£8, Soap & Glory, boots.com

This blendable gel is sheer rather than creamy and will glide over your existing make-up with ease and stay put for a healthy, natural-looking glow.

Tinted peach pink balm

£6.95, drpawpaw.com

Not the original Antipodean wonder product, but a very close contender – this glossy nourishing balm is made in the UK and is infused with a delicate peach hue.

Convertible colour in fuchsia, 19

£16, stila.co.uk

A great match for darker skintones, this might look a bit of a scary shot of colour in the compact, but blending is the key to carrying it off.

Lip2cheek in curious

£28, rmsbeauty.com

Orange is definitely a colour to be avoided in terms of tanning, but this sheer, almost coral, provides a surprisingly wearable subtle hint of tint.

Lip & cheek stain in 03

£10, thebodyshop.co.uk

This looks scarily glittery in its tube, but the liquid formula in fact has only a delicate shimmer which can be blended into cheeks for a healthy colour.