Sleeping Beauty knew the power of a kiss. Fated to sleep for a hundred years, she was awoken from her trance by her Prince's lips, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Kissing, snogging, smooching, is an integral part of fairytale mythology, romantic novels and famous films. Who can forget Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the dying moments of Casablanca?

But in Western sex-obsessed society, kissing is overlooked as an end in itself. Be honest. When did you last enjoy a really passionate pash?

"Many people, particularly if they're in a long-term relationship, often skip the kissing stage when they begin to make love," says Susan Quilliam, author of Women On Sex. "But it's such a shame—kissing is one of the sexiest, most exciting and intimate things a couple can do."

The deep tongue kiss can be a second penetration, while a light kiss or a brush with your lip across a partner's neck, shoulders or back can spark a rush of erotic reactions through their body. That's the beauty of kissing. It works in all sorts of places.

As Alex Comfort, in The Joy of Sex, writes: "If you haven't at least kissed her mouth, shoulders, neck, breasts, armpits, fingers, palms, toes…you haven't really kissed her."

The way we kiss – like the way we make love – can, over time, become habitual. And with habit, our sensations gradually shut down. So the answer is to shake things up a bit.

"Be inventive," Olivia St. Claire urges in 203 Ways to Drive a Man in Bed. "Use your lips, your tongue, your teeth. Press hard. Brush softly. Suck, lick, and bite. Linger lovingly, press passionately. And respond sensitively to his lip manoeuvres. This is not a solo tune but a lovely, harmonious duet."

When we kiss a lover for the first time our knees go weak and wobbly. It's a wonderful feeling and it's worth repeating. So rediscover the kiss, and explore the erotic potential of your lips.