The vast majority of in-use make-up products such as beauty blenders, mascara, and lip gloss are contaminated with potentially life-threatening superbugs, researchers have warned.

"Make-up products used every day by millions of people in the UK are contaminated with potentially deadly bugs, such as E.coli and Staphylococci, because most are not being cleaned and are used far beyond their expiry dates," said study lead author Amreen Bashir from Aston University in the US.