Lipstick in cinema is a powerful narrative tool. When a character cracks out the killer rouge, you know things are about to kick off.

Whether it's a hard-hitting hustler, a mean high school cheerleader or a naive young ingenue about to be deflowered by the protagonist, the way they apply lippie says everything about their character. 

We take look at some of the most memorable lipstick-wielding sirens throughout film history. 

1. The Behind-Your-Dad's-Back: Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing

During the film's epic 'Hungry Eyes' training montage, Baby nervously applying her lipstick hints that her offer to stand in as Johnny's dance partner might be less about helping out poor knocked-up Penny and more about wanting Johnny to 'invade her dance space'...

2. The Behind-Your-Mum's-Back: Winona Ryder in Mermaids

Cher's out, you need to grab this opportunity to impress Joe and the only way you know how to do this adult make-up thing is by mirroring how your mum does it. This is that breaking-all-the-rules and acting like a grown-up rite of passage. We can ignore the almost killing your sister part.

3. The Languid Femme Fatale: Kathleen Byron in Black Narcissus

If you're a nun in a film, chances are you'll end up a sadistic, sex-crazed, corrupt she-devil. (Unless it's Sister Act, in which case you're probably a hand clapping, hip-swaying, toe-tapping, finger-clicking soul diva.) Sadly Whoopi Goldberg wasn't around to lighten the mood when Kathleen Byron's horny, rebellious nun ditches her habit and slicks on the lippie, looking menacingly into the distance as if to say 'check me out.'

4. The Means Business: Ursula in The Little Mermaid

When we think of Disney's most famous underwater villain, the following Madonna quote tends to spring to mind, 'I'm tough, I'm ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch. Ok'. Yes, she was a tad ruthless in her quest for The Sea King's crown, but we could all learn a thing or two from her when it comes to dressing for the job you want. Here her signature red lippie signifies her 'alpha female-squid' status.

5. The Party Trick: Mollie Ringwold in The Breakfast Club

It wasn't just getting off with Judd Nelson at the end of The Breakfast Club that got us all wishing we were Mollie Ringwold. It was her invaluable hands-free talent for applying lipstick using just her breasts (whilst simultaneously mastering the tricky art of self-motorboating). There wasn't a teenager in Christendom who didn't watch this film and then straight away rush upstairs to attempt this technique for themselves - prompting an 80s freeze-frame high five upon completion.

6. The Pout and Pop: Schoolgirl in Scream

There's a knife-wielding maniac on the loose. But curiously, rather than get the hell out of town, this teenager (who looks more like 25) is more pre-occupied with applying her lipstick in the manner of Linda Lovelace. 

7. The Perfectionist: Ted Levine in The Silence of The Lambs

There's no point getting your glad rags on - in this case, the flayed skin of your dead victims - if you don't have a 'killer' (see what we did there?) pink lippie to complete the look. We love how despite being an unhinged psycho, Buffalo Bill still remembers to use a lip brush to ensure application is spot on. Good lad. 

8. The Entrapment: Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

We're bewildered at why one of the hottest cartoon characters committed to celluloid is giving all that sexy lipstick schtick for a hairy-chested Bob Hoskins but this is entrapment of the highest order.

9. The Go Getter: Margaret Whitton in The Secret of My Success

The 80s was a strong decade for female go-gettishness in film, with added shoulder pads, clouds of YSL Opium and a long, lingering, loop-the-loop method of applying lippie. 

10. The One-Too-Many: Milla Jovovich in Chaplin

Chaplin was difficult. Which possibly explains Milla's uncertainty about exactly how she should approach this task at hand. It's a miracle she doesn't go outside the lip line.