Brightness while the dark nights drag

One look at LFW made me feel more warm and fuzzy than any other and that was the poppy lips at Temperley's London comeback show. Usually autumn/winter shows are plum pallette with a smattering of nude and scarlet when it comes to le pout. But the vibrant red at the English designer's show gave the more substantial designs of the colder season a lightness and youthful glamour that is sometimes absent in the a/w collections.

So, how do you get this look? Well, achieving a beautiful poppy pout in all in the prep. Exfoliate lips using a product like Daniel Sandler's lip exfoliator or if money's tight use a toothbrush to give lips a light scrub. The main thing before lipstick application to make sure kissers are as smooth as possible. Mr Sandler has also created a wonderful lip primer pencil which stops colour bleeding and makes lipstick smooth on like a dream.

If you don't have a primer, apply a quality, non-greasy lip balm like Lanolips ointment and leave this to soften the skin for a few minutes. And then, it's time for the main event: the wonderful poppy red.

I recommend Gay Geranium from Boots No. 7 range (see right). A designer friend - who knows a thing or two when it comes to fashion, rouge and style - bought it for me last year and wouldn't you know it? She predicted it would become a big deal round about now. It's matte, bright, long-lasting and easy to apply.
Like Temperley's beautiful models, keep the rest of your face fresh and don't overdo it with base, blusher or eye make-up. Primer is a must to achieve the enviable skin required to make this colour shine.
Then wrap up warm (because it's still chilly outside) and let your fashion-forward pout do the talking.
(Temperley London pics from www.elleuk.com)