Red ahead

M.A.C red lipstick. Photo / Babiche Martens

Redolent of glamour and sex appeal, red is the high-wattage colour that could see you mistaken for a movie star or branded a scarlet woman. Or a model straight off the runway from Paris, where red was on everyone's lips.

At the Chanel show, Karl Lagerfeld gave his guests red as Chanel Rouge Allure Laque, a yet-to-be launched here super-shiny cross between lipstick and gloss. At Yves St Laurent, Stefano Pilato's austerely beautiful clothes were offset with YSL Rouge Volupte No. 17, a deep matte red. Makeup artist Tom Pecheux said: "Wearing red lipstick is like having a big smile on your face. It makes you feel made up and powerful."

Alexander McQueen took the red smile to extremes, painting giant sex-doll red lips on his models.

His deliberate statement rather sums up the red dilemma. It's a fine line to tread between vamp and vixen to find the red that suits rather than screams out on you. After all these years of rosy nude liptones, it's time to rate red again.

Most women have flirted with red at some stage, but some give up because it's a high-maintenance look. Others find their best red and stick to it religiously - it's one sure way to develop a signature look as Dita von Teese or Gwen Stefani well know.

Red lipsticks, even when officially not in fashion, have remained big sellers and cosmetic companies delete favourite shades at their peril. Now they're adding new ones, some with a darker edge to match winter's tailored and twisted looks; Chanel, M.A.C and Shiseido have all headed into this territory. For everyday it's best to avoid the fashionable bitten by Dracula look, though a touch of dark gloss can look mysteriously chic.

Here, we've concentrated on the classic high-impact red, or rather reds. The right red should make you feel fantastic, not like a clown. Pure reds, not too blue-toned, not too orangey, are the most versatile, but they don't suit everyone. Women with darker skins should head into berry-red territory, a porcelain-skinned dark brunette can carry blue-red or something crimson. If you're auburn a brick-red will be more flattering than the pink-reds a blonde might opt for and someone with caramel tonings and warm skin tones might try orange red.

So start with red-red, but be aware the most subtle variation can make all the difference to bringing your face alive, even if at first glance the colour variation looks all but imperceptible.

All of the reds we've featured here passed my basic test of lasting through the odd sip, barely bleeding and staying on strong for at least three hours, so are recommended. If you are planning on wearing red all day, then be prepared to touch up - with red lipstick on you'll draw attention to yourself, so make it the right kind.

Getting reddy

* Testing a colour on your lips is the only truly accurate gauge, but red is one shade you can swipe on the back of your hand and leave to see how it settles and changes over time on your skin (as you would a perfume). In an hour or so, a red lipstick is often noticeably more pink or orange-toned, so if you know what shades suit you this is one way of eliminating reds that initially look true.

* If it's been a while since you gave red a whirl, don't just drag something out of the back of your drawer. Try a new moisturising lipstick formulation; with all that colour pigment, you need something that doesn't dry out your lips as the reds of old tended to do. Modern reds feel heavier on the lips than creamy pale colours, but that's OK, you want a good, fairly matte coating with staying power, not a Courtney Love smear.

* If you use a lip liner, make sure you don't just draw a skinny line, fill the colour at least partly in to avoid both the lined look and too harsh edges. You can go without lip liner altogether, but for staying power apply a first coat of lipstick, blot it with a tissue, and then apply a second coat, taking care not to go beyond the contours of the first.

* Red lipstick will obviously be the dominant feature on your face, so go very easy on the blush and don't make your eye makeup compete. But it doesn't do to let your eyes fade into nothingness either. Define them by grooming your brows, applying a subtle or smoky contouring shadow, a little eyeliner and a good lashing of mascara.

Pictured in inner, middle and outer curves, top to bottom:

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipstick 1EQ Classic Red $50 Feels luxe and like all reds with No.1 in their name, is a classic in the range.

Bobbi Brown Lip Colour in Red 10 $52
Almost identical colour to the Estee Lauder, but feels a little softer on the mouth.

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect in 01 Perfect Red $48
A carmine red, this feels heavier in texture than the brand's Color Intrigue Poppy Cream.

Shiseido Perfect Rouge in RD514 Dragon $50
Intriguingly a little dark, but still true, like lacquer on rosewood. This is a new release moisture-rich formula.

Clarins Joli Rouge Long-Wearing Moisturizing Lipstick in 716 Clarins Red $48
Rich, with the slightest tendency to pinkness. Smells divine.

Yves St Laurent Rouge Volupte in 16 Red Temptation $64
A tad lighter and more orange than the No.17 seen on runways, but with the same sheen. The decorative canister is a joy. YSL's Pure Lipstick in Blazing Red is less full-on and smells like gran used to wear.

M.A.C Red $38
Not as well known as M.A.C's Russian Red and Ruby Woo, but deserves to be. Cremesheen Dare You is a darker, browner option.

Clinique High Impact Lip colour in 12 Red-y to wear $42
Light moist feeling, but colour stays strong.

Lancome Le Rouge Absolu Bx 134 Idole $56
A bright towards orange tint, in a satisfying magnetised canister that clicks into closure.

L'Oreal Color Riche Star Secrets in Penelope Red $21.99
Yes, that's Pene Cruz's colour, a warm red that would flatter warmer skin tones.

Maybelline in E190 Royal Red $17.99
The cheapest lipstick of the bunch, but you'd never know. Vibrant.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Creme in 655 Scarlet Velvet $23
A choice that won't disappoint. Clear, strong colour, nice texture.

Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipstick in 170 Gypsy Scarlet $52
Part of the seasonal Bohemian Fantasy range, this crimson red and the peachier Fiesta, have a micro-dose of black pigment to give an "off" true tone.

Lipstick Queen Saint Red $39
Saint is the odd one out of the bunch, being a red for beginners or for days when you want a swipe of colour, but not the intensity. The sheer but long-lasting formula makes this an ideal daytime or holiday choice, with Poppy King's opaque Red Sinner being the pigment heavy version.