Sonic lipstick
This article contains far too many bulleted lists. These sections should be converted into normal prose.
The sonic lipstick was a sonic device similar to the sonic screwdriver owned by the Doctor, and regularly employed by Sarah Jane Smith. Unlike the Doctor's version, Sarah Jane's resembled a genuine 21st century lipstick closely enough to avoid suspicion from casual observers.
After Sarah Jane's death, (WC: Farewell, Sarah Jane) accounts varied on who inherited the sonic lipstick; according to one account, Jo Jones inherited it (WC: Defenders of Earth) however, according to another account, Rani Chandra inherited it. (AUDIO: Here Today)
History
The sonic lipstick was given to Sarah Jane by the Doctor (PROSE: The Shining Man) at some point before the Bane's attempted invasion of Earth. (TV: Invasion of the Bane)
Following the destruction of one of the devices by Sontaran Commander Kaagh, Sarah Jane later produced another though did not explain where she had acquired it. (TV: Enemy of the Bane) Although primarily used by Sarah Jane, it was also used by her companions as well as the Eleventh Doctor on occasion. (TV: Death of the Doctor, Revenge of the Slitheen, The Empty Planet)
Sarah Jane herself rarely wore actual lipstick, and almost used the sonic lipstick on herself instead of a normal one when preparing herself for a date with Peter Dalton; she remarked that she had to stop doing so. (TV: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith)
Rani Chandra borrowed the lipstick whilst investigating unusual weather patterns. Whilst tied up she had Jac retrieve it from her pocket to release her. (AUDIO: The Turn of the Tides)
According to one account, Jo Jones inherited it from her. She used it to deactivate a Sea Devil's weapon. (WC: Defenders of Earth) Another account suggested that it was Rani Chandra who inherited the lipstick. (AUDIO: Here Today)
Features
The sonic lipstick looked like a normal lipstick on the outside. The lid came off and it twisted to reveal the emitter. When in use, the sonic lipstick generated a pinkish-red light, and produced several sounds. Like the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, it also remained ineffective against deadlock seals. The Slitheen described it as a sonic disruptor, (TV: Revenge of the Slitheen) and Sarah Jane once threatened to destroy a talisman with sonic disruption. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon) It ran on some sort of energy which could run out. (TV: Death of the Doctor)
Uses
- Unlocking, locking, opening and closing doors. (TV: Invasion of the Bane et al.)
- Sending an electrical charge, and cutting cables. (TV: Eye of the Gorgon)
- Interfering with the comm devices of Mark Grantham and several UNIT soldiers causing a very high-pitched noise. (TV: Warriors of Kudlak, Enemy of the Bane)
- Opening the Pharos Institute's doors. (TV: The Lost Boy)
- Disabling the Pharos Institute's security lasers. (TV: The Lost Boy)
- Malfunctioning a motorbike enough for it to spark and slightly disorientate the rider. (TV: The Lost Boy)
- Disabling a cloaking field on a Sontaran ship. (TV: The Last Sontaran)
- Destroying two sphere-shaped drones. (TV: The Last Sontaran)
- De-activating Kaagh's control device. (TV: The Last Sontaran)
- Seizing the joints of robot clowns. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
- Cutting a piece of meteorite. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
- Shattering a glass mirror. (TV: The Day of the Clown)
- Using it against an alien life form, but it is unknown what the sonic lipstick actually does to the alien life form. (TV: The Mark of the Berserker)
- Disabling/enabling a car engine. (TV: The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith)
- Destroying the Tunguska Scroll (first use of the second device). (TV: Enemy of the Bane)
- Teleporting a Slitheen back to its home. (TV: From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love)
- Destroying a communication system. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Smashing glass. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Releasing the Nanoforms into the genetic system. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Locking on the Nanoforms to Clyde and Rani. (TV: Prisoner of the Judoon)
- Breaking into a theme park. (TV: The Mad Woman in the Attic)
- Opening, unlocking and locking various doors. (TV: The Eternity Trap, et al)
- Deactivating the Blathereen's teleporter. (TV: The Gift)
- Disabling Minty's alien detector. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Opening a padlock. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Breaking down Mister Dread's car. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Activating a deactivated Mister Dread. (TV: The Vault of Secrets)
- Mantainance on the Doctor's teleport device. (TV: Death of the Doctor)
- Opening a ventilation shaft. (TV: Death of the Doctor)
- Unlocking a bike lock. (TV: The Empty Planet)
- Spinning a light shade. (TV: The Empty Planet)
- Unlocking Sarah Jane's chains. (TV: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith)
- Activating Ruby White's teleport device. (TV: Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith)
- Reactivating a radio. (TV: Sky)
- Defeating a Sea Devil (WC: Defenders of Earth)
Behind the scenes
- According to the Data Files on the menu screen of the DVD release of series 1 of The Sarah Jane Adventures, Sarah Jane found the sonic lipstick inside K9.
- The Sonic Lipstick prop was made using a distinctive brass container from a lipstick made by manufacturer Estée Lauder.[1]
- Character Options released a sonic lipstick replica featuring lights and sounds. The toy was slightly different from the original, in that the ridges in the actual prop are less deep and the coat was shiny metal rather than gold plastic.
- The fate of the sonic lipstick after Sarah Jane's death varies between stories. In the 2023 mini-episode Defenders of Earth!, Jo Jones is shown to have inherited the device, but in the Big Finish Productions audio drama Here Today, Rani Chandra is shown to have inherited it. A potential solution to this discrepancy is if Sarah Jane owned more than one sonic lipstick.
External links
Footnotes
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