Beauty: Bold lips

It's winter, when beauty editors declare that everyone should wear red lipstick, even though they never leave the house in more than a slick of Vaseline and some discreet fillers. I adore the chic, teeth-whitening properties of red, and it is huge this season, but to suggest that it's right for all is like saying anyone can pull off a boilersuit. But there are alternatives. It's just a question of ramping up what you're already comfortable in. If you favour peach, try orange or coral, an underrated colour that's big on Joan Holloway sex appeal. If your comfort zone is neutrals, tiptoe out of it with chocolatey rose (I love Bobbi Brown's Lip Color in Nude , a misnomer since it may be visible from space). Fans of pinks should consider fuchsia or universally flattering plum. Shun frosty shades (they haven't been cool since we went decimal), and apply bold colour straight from the stick – precise brush lines are a bit latter-day Gloria Swanson . Wear bold with this season's naked eyelids, so as not to pull focus from the main event, but don't do as the catwalk says and skip mascara for 2011 – cute on models; all kinds of wrong on civilians. Orange (Clockwise from top) Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick, £29.50, Sisley . True orange lipstick is hard to find, but looks fabulous with good skin and loads of black mascara. Perfect. Pink Lip Color in Pure Pink, £35, Tom Ford . This has converted me to hot pink. Also, it looks like something Alexis Carrington would use to light her Sobranies . Win. Red Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire & Ice, £7.49 . This was Revlon's first lipstick shade, back in the 50s, and it shows. The pinky-scarlet oozes retro glamour. Purple Lips in Ruthless, £8, Topshop . I feared purple, but this flattered even my deathly pallor. Smokers avoid: yellow teeth will look twice as bad. Plum Burberry Lip Cover Soft Satin Lipstick in Bright Plum, £22 . This brand is great at making bold colour seem like a safe option. A juicy, pretty shade in a lovely tube. Coral Color Sensational Lipstick in Coral Tonic, £7.19, Maybelline . I am such a zealot about coral lipsticks that I've taken to handing them out, Hare Krishna-style, to friends. This one's gorgeous.