Statement Lips

Hot lacquered lips are the biggest catwalk beauty trend and the stars really know how to follow suit. Whatever your hair and skin colouring, be brave and slick on a colour you love, from tangy corals to ruby reds, the choice is all yours.

Cheryl Cole loves her lippie and lately she’s been swapping her usual cerise shades for siren red, as seen here at the Brit Awards. Her ultra glossy lips were full of pout power and if you are hankering over a look like this, celebrity make-up artist Daniel Sandler gives his big tip for striking lips: “If you wear bright lipstick you have to make sure your skin is totally even because bright lips bring out the flaws. You can apply clear gloss to the centre of the mouth using a brush to add more focus.”

Taylor Momsen dispensed with her good-girl image when she went for this Debbie Harry inspired rock chick look. Throwing the rule-book firmly out the window, she wore soft smudgy eyeshadow with this glossy, neon-pink lipcolour. Bright, stand-out pink is a great shade to try if you're a teen or twenty-something; just be brave, apply carefully and wear with insouciant attitude, just like Taylor! 

Sienna Miller went for a classic, matt red pout to match her striking Marios Schwab dress. The actress kept the rest of her make-up very neutral but played up her eyes with some false lashes; this way she's stuck to the beauty rule (only go heavy on either the eyes or the mouth) but has ensured that the look is balanced. 

Helena Christensen looks simply divine at 40, proving beauty trends are not just for the twenty-somethings. She’s made the statement lip trend work for her by choosing a glossy, peony pink that works with her fuscia dress.

Make-up artist Ariane Poole, who tends to the A-list, advices on bold lips older girls: "Use a lip coloured pencil to create definition and wear a sheer lipstick - Dior and YSL do good one - as they don't have the thickness of a traditional lipstick but have a longer lasting quality with strong pigment. For someone older, a pop of bubblegum or peony pink like Helena's works really well."

Style-setting Chloë Sevigny has practically made tangerine lips her signature look, with simple make-up and kooky clothes. Proenza Shouler catwalk were stamped with matted orange lips this season, making them a hot hue this summer.

National make-up artist for Lancome, Benjamin Rousseau, tips us on orange. "Orange lips bring out the intensity of blue eyes and if you have thin lips, use a really bright orange to give the appearance of fuller lips."

Camilla Belle's neon pink pout is bang on trend and this up-to-the-minute colour is a fitting choice for her youthful looks. The pink theme is carried through to her eye make-up where a shimmery shadow in palest pink has been used around the eye, giving her look a pretty, summer vibe. 

January Jones opted for what could have been a classic, movie star beauty look for this year's Golden Globes. The Veronica Lake waves and heavy black eyeliner were all in place, but rather than go for a traditional pillar-box red pout, she chose on-trend orange. 

Even Emma Bunton has dipped into classic screen-siren red as she swaps her usual soft hues for more sriking glamour. This look is ideal for a LBD and adding gloss turns up the impact.

Vivid ruby reds never fail to work wonders against dark features and this orange-red shade looks great with Gemma Arterton's deep brunette locks. According to make-up pro Daniel Sandler, if your features are well balanced, wearing strong eyes and lips is possible.

"For defined eyes and bold lips you need even features, i.e. large eyes and full lips. That's why some Caucasians like Gemma Arterton and Rachel Weisz as well as Asian and Mediterranean girls can carry it off."

The cupid bow on Cameron Diaz's red lips are the main attraction here, helped by clean and chic make-up everywhere else. Sculptured cheeks, a touch of eye glimmer and a few coats of mascara is all she needs to make the look modern and attractive.

Sleek and chic Gwyenth gets her shade exactly right with a pink-based red that flatters fair skin. International make-up artist for Estee Lauder, Alan Pan, explains how he determines what shade of lipstick to choose.

“I usually look to see if the customer is wearing gold or silver jewellery - gold looks fabulous on warmer skin tones while silver really enhances cooler toned skins. So cooler skins should choose a lipstick that’s pinky or red with blue tones as well as classic beige-pinks."

Country music songstress Taylor Swift was sporting glossy coral lips for the Country Music Awards in Las Vegas this year, which were a perfect accompaniment to her floor-length crimson gown. Her make-up base is flawless and velvety with just a light puff of pink on cheeks and eyes top-heavy with liner.

Make-up artist Ariane Poole explains why this shade works so well: "This coral-red is beautiful as a statement colour because it's softer than a pillar-box red and works with the orange-y hue of her dress. Try Trish McEvoy or Lancome for this sort of coral with a blue-y undertone."

Maggie Gyllenhaal goes for a berry-coloured lipstick which makes her blue eyes sparkle that bit brighter. Alan Pan, International make-up artist for Estee Lauder recommends a velvet finish such as this when you hit your 30s:
"The classic velvety matt mouth is the perfect look when you move into your 30s as it's a little more sophisticated than gloss. Start by using a lip liner to create shape then apply colour using a lip brush. This will help the colour to last much longer, ensuring your gorge pout lasts and lasts."

Hayden goes for full-impact glamour with heavy lashes to intensify her almond-shaped eyes and a matte lipstick with liner. Matte shades in orange-red hues were seen on Luella catwalks this season and on-trend for autumn-winter too.

"While it's down to personal taste whether you want a gloss or matte finish, it's best to avoid mattes if you have lines in the lip area and choose a more dewy or glossy finish as is so attention grabbing," says Ariane Poole, make-up artist to a string of stars. 

Ever the daring stylistas, the Olsen twins confidently embrace trends where others fear to experiment. Here Mary-Kate, the slightly more boho of the two, goes for a deep blue-red lipstick, giving her a striking, vampish look.