By Bella Blissett

Naughty schoolgirls were running amok in Les Beaux-Arts de Paris backstage at Veronique Leroy.

At show after show, make up artists have implored us to step away from the mascara. But like sixth formers putting the proverbial two digits up at the headmaster, these girls had no concern for rules. Instead, they rallied to the cause of mascara-loving women everywhere, (us included) and went out on the lash – literally.

A brown-pink, cheek contouring blend of MAC Brit Wit blush and Coffee Walnut Sculpting Cream plus a barely-balmed lip played it safe. Then Sam Bryant and her team took out their wands.

Diligently applying coats, coats and more coats of Opulash mascara top and bottom, they then took a disposable wand and pushed big clumps right into the roots before asking the girls to blink.

When we caught up with Sam by the buffet working on her 23rd and final model before the show, we couldn’t help but wonder just how many coats of mascara she thought passed muster for this schoolgirl spin.

“About a blimmin' million” she sighed. Best set your alarm clocks a half hour earlier next summer then.