Christian Louboutin made his debut into the beauty world back in 2014 with killer stiletto-handled nail polishes, and the collection continues to grow with more and more lust-worthy additions. The latest is the Les Yeux Noirs Lash Amplifying Lacquer mascara in Rouge Louboutin, a fiery red upgrade from the previous jet black and sumptuous burgundy shades. At £55, it’s not cheap – but is it worth it?

In a heavy gold art deco-esque tube and an ornate black cap, the mascara is as much of a collector’s item as the rest of the Louboutin beauty line. The punchy red formula is gorgeously rich and lacquer-like, but it’s not the easiest shade to pull off.

The brand suggests applying it like a black mascara, or just on the tips of your lashes for a “subtle yet equally rebellious” look, which gives a little glint of colour – but I wanted to test a couple more ways to make fire-engine red lashes wearable.

Here are the looks I came up with…

1) Outer corners

Load up on black or brown mascara, or leave lashes bare. Use the end of the wand to slick Les Yeux Noirs on the top outer lashes only. 

I quite like how this mimics a red cat-eye, then flicks around as you bat your eyelids. Granted, it’s the most subtle of the three looks, but I feel like a red mascara shouldn’t be restricted to just an eyelash or three.

2) Red tips

Layer your lashes with black mascara, leave to dry, then brush Les Yeux Noirs across the tips.  

As promised, keeping the red strictly on the tips gave a flash of colour with just the right amount of edge, giving an optical illusion of a bright red eyeshadow along my eyelid crease. This one definitely gets my vote as the having the best balance between daring and wearable.

3) Bottom lashes

Apply Les Yeux Noirs onto the lower lashes, and black mascara to the top to balance everything out. 

Okay, having an entire bottom row of red lashes only served to accentuate how bloodshot my eyes were, although after ten minutes, the crimson mellowed out to more of an oxblood brown which was actually quite pretty - and a lot softer than your standard black.

My verdict? The brightness of the red slightly fades once the formula dries, and I quite like how the end result initially gives a subtle pop to the eyes, then mellows down to a unique reddish-brown. 

Next time, I’ll definitely be trying a flesh-toned eyeliner in the waterline like Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes Waterproof Liner, £3.99, to avoid accentuating any redness.