I AM sick of reading things like this: ‘Pippa Middleton looks effortlessly stylish in jeans and a grey coat as she takes baby Arthur and her dogs for a walk.’

And this: ‘Catherine Zeta-Jones, 49, looks effortlessly glamorous in bold floral dress as she spends Mother’s Day with son Dylan, 18, at Bahrain Grand Prix.’

This too: ‘Kelly Brook cuts an effortlessly stylish figure in a trendy yellow shirt as she heads out of the Global radio studios.’

Use of the word ‘effortless’, when used in such news reports, alongside words like ‘glamour’ and ‘style’, intrigues me.

For a start, how does the writer know that it has taken no effort to arrive at this look? Each one of these women - and there are plenty more described this way - could, and most probably had, been standing in front of a mirror for several hours before leaving the house.

Such high-profile women, who often find themselves filling the pages of glossy magazines and gossip columns, are unlikely to leave the house without some sort of makeover. If they were photographed shuffling down to the local One Stop in an old T-shirt, a pair of tracky bottoms and some grubby slippers, that could be described as effortless.

The item focusing upon Pippa revealed that she had ‘paired black jeans and boots with a grey coat and buckle-detail black boots to finish off the look.’ It went on to say ‘showing off her attention to detail, Pippa tied her hair in a slick pony with a pretty beige hairband.’

In my book that’s making a great deal of effort. About a billion times more than I’ve ever made, even on the very rare occasions when I go on a night out.

Maybe I shouldn’t criticise. Maybe I’m just jealous because ‘effortless glamour’ is a look I have never been able to cultivate.

I can look effortlessly dishevelled, effortlessly unkempt and effortlessly dowdy. All are easy looks to achieve on a low budget, if anyone is interested. But glamorous? Stylish? Chic? (That’s another over-used phrase to describe female celebs – ‘model Alessandra Ambrosio looked ‘effortlessly chic’ in a white denim playsuit as she steps out after celebrating her 38th birthday’) Never.

In the interests of research, I typed ‘how to look effortlessly glamorous’ into Google. A five-step guide to achieving that very thing popped up, courtesy of a glossy women’s magazine.

I thought for a moment that I would have to eat my words. But the ‘tips’ involved a convoluted routine of some complexity involving cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating, applying and applying all sorts of make-up, as well as ‘masks’ to the skin and hair. It sounded both time-consuming and expensive.

Perusing the guidance, I felt vindicated. ‘Looking effortlessly glamorous doesn’t just happen,’ it said. ‘Even though the very words suggest otherwise. It takes some diligence.’

It’s like those articles recounting how much certain celebrities spend on make-up to achieve a ‘natural’ look.

If any women can carry off effortless style it is the French. A French woman can look gorgeous whether wearing a glitzy ball gown or a stained dressing gown. They can look as glamorous taking out the bins as attending a swanky party. It must be in their genes.

In future, I am going to refer any unqualified mention of ‘effortless glamour’ to the Independent Press Standards Organisation, as an unfair representation of the facts.

Looks like I’m going to have my work cut out - I’ve just spotted another: ‘Hollyoaks’ Jennifer Metcalfe looks effortlessly glamorous in animal print leggings and an aviator jacket as she strolls in between filming.’