Pucker Up!

Getting ready for a few magic moments under the mistletoe this Christmas? Dry, cracked, moisture-sapped lips just won’t cut it – so now is the time to spend a little time perfecting our pouts!

Start by exfoliating lips to remove any unattractive flaky skin. Being a beauty junkie (I expect you’d worked that out by now?) I usually turn to a lip scrub, such as Clarins Extra-Firming Lip and Contour Gentle Exfoliator, £17 – but if you prefer, you can rub an old toothbrush gently over the surface of lips, which will smooth and soften skin.

Next comes hydration – and after exfoliation, the more intensive the lip balm, the better… I’m a big fan of Nuxe Reve de Miel Honey Lip Balm, £10, which injects pouts with a shot of moisture. The pot is, admittedly, quite heavy – so if you’d prefer to invest in something for carrying around in your handbag, Avene Aqualia Thermal Lips, £5, is another good bet.

When it comes to colour – and if you’re hitting the Christmas party circuit, you’ll need to consider such things – you can’t beat a bold, attention-grabbing red for the festive season. This year, we’re in luck, as the colour is bang on trend. In fact, Selfridges have just reported a whopping 34% rise in the sale of red lipstick over the past year!

With such a high impact colour, you’ll need to start with lip liner – it will not only keep the lipstick in place, but will help to plump and define the shape of lips. Givenchy Rouge Interdit Lipliner in Lip Rouge, £13.67, is perfect for the job – it’s soft, blendable, and easy to control.

For lipstick, you can’t beat Dior Addict High Impact Weightless Lipcolour in Pop Red, £21. It looks fabulous, but feels so beautifully light that you won’t even know you’re wearing lipstick. Better still, it’s long lasting, so you can guarantee a perfect pout throughout those mistletoe moments!

Pucker up girls, the season is just beginning…