She might be 40, but Hello Kitty is one cool cat

For a cat who's nearing 40, Hello Kitty shows no signs of slowing down – something her global legions of fans will surely be pleased about.

The cartoon cat first appeared on a vinyl coin purse by Sanrio in 1974, and made her US debut two years later. It isn't a coincidence that Hello Kitty has been something of a cash cat for the brand, her illustrator Yuko Shimizu was in fact first commissioned to create characters for merchandise as a way of increasing profits of the company's sandals.

This year Hello Kitty has appeared on Zatchels fashion-forward retro satchels and babywear for cashmere brand Brora, but it is this cosmetics collaboration with Superdrug that will have her fans most excited – not least for the pocket money prices which will appeal to Kitty fans young and old.

With names like "play ya", "melt down" and "got dat thang" it seems that the once mild-mannered kitten has entered into a rebellious phase with gusto, and the poster-paint colour of the nail polishes are further testament to that. As well as nail polishes, lipsticks, eye-shadow palettes, tweezers and a manicure set to make the perfect stocking filler for fans of the feline of any age.