Eight tips for great lips

1. Consider the lighting. Pick a softer or sheerer shade if you’re going outdoors and a bolder shade for evening.

2. Avoid deep reds if you have thin lips. They tend to emphasise the thin-ness.

3. Don’t allow your eyes and your lips compete for attention. Pair bold red lipstick with the lightest possible eye makeup and soft red lipstick with bolder eyes.

4. Coordinate your look by dotting a smudge of lipstick on the apples of your cheeks, then blend it with your fingers.

5. Always, always take your time with red lipstick, it should never be applied in the back of a taxi or when you’re stopped at the traffic lights.

6. Don’t use red lip liner. If it doesn’t match tour lipstick perfectly (and the odds are it won’t), you’ll end up with a two-toned effect. If you like using liner, find a shade that’s close to your natural lip colour and use it to outline your lips.

7. Prevent ‘bleeding’ by applying a concealer around your mouth.

8. Avoid getting lipstick on your teeth. After applying, stick a finger in your mouth, purse your lips around it, then slowly pull it out to remove excess colour.