MINIATURE sculpture artist Hedley Wiggan is bringing a smile to airport passengers by transforming a collection of lipsticks into iconic landmarks.

The Bolton micro sculptor has meticulously hand-carved Big Ben, The Eiffel Tower, Dubai's Buri Khalifa, New York’s Statue of Liberty, and Shanghai’s eponymous Tower into regular-sized lipsticks to celebrate the launch of Heathrow Airport’s first International Lipstick Colours of the Year showcase.

His work is now on display at Terminal Five for the month and will be seen by many thousands of passengers who pass through the airport every day – with the lipsticks reflecting the most popular destinations passengers visit from Heathrow.

Hedley swapped his studio for his kitchen at his Tonge Moor Road home to create the diminutive lipstick landmarks.

He said: “I was working with a new material and it was a nice challenge.

“I worked in the kitchen because sculpting time was 10 to 15 minutes and then the lipsticks had to go back into the fridge.

“It is a great project and unusual. I really enjoyed it.”

Hedley, aged 49, worked throughout the day and sometimes the night to get the miniature exhibits ready – saying his favourite is Big Ben.

Each landmark took nearly three days to complete.

“People who have seen them have sent me pictures, and tweeted me and sent me e-mails which has been really nice.

“If I can get a chance I would like to see them at Heathrow.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do a project like this where people from all over the world will see my work which feels great.”

The carvings have been created using the most popular lipstick shades being worn this year as identified in the International Lipstick Colours of the Year report, in which it was found Londoners are more likely to wear caramel nude and New Yorkers bright red shade, whereas Parisians prefer dusky rose and in Dubai the colour of choice is rose pink.

Click here to see Hedley at work.