I love the boldness of red, the projection of confidence and a refusal to be invisible – it’s the HRT of lip colours. Red lipstick made a startling impact on the autumn catwalks, especially at MGSM, where it spoke volumes against crisp white shirts, black velvet and everything in between. But it doesn’t always have to be statement-making. If you think that red doesn’t suit you, go softly. Start with a tinted lip balm and take it from there.

Make-up artist Laura Devides believes “using a red lipliner is essential – especially if you have wrinkles around the mouth; concealing any redness you have on your face is also a must – around the nose, rosacea, acne, and the under-eye area – all of these can interfere with your red lips.” The most striking way to wear it is against a fairly bare face. It’s an optical illusion: your skin can be pallid, your hair a mess, but red draws the focus. Holding back on foundation and mascara, anything too matte will just sit in lines; aim for something hydrating (or tap some lip balm on over the colour). And keep lips exfoliated, L’Occitane’s raspberry lip scrub (€16.50) is wonderful.

The reds we want to wear now include the perfect geranium – try Chanel’s Rouge Allure Liquid Powder in 954 – its soft powdery texture has a soft blurring effect. Something punchy like L’Oreal Paris Color Riche range is great for the price and channels MAC’s iconic Ruby Woo. This season, reds are turning autumnal, with rusty, russet shades coming through: these off shades can be a good way to wear red; play around with Chanel’s Le Rouge Lip Duo in Burning Red (€36), a liquid lip colour plus gloss.