Love Valentine’s? Say it with red

What you wear is important on any date, and Valentine’s Day is particularly memorable. Whether you love or hate this time of year, say it with passionate red this Valentine’s.

There’s a common myth that red doesn’t suit everybody, but rest assured there is a shade of red for everyone, whether you’re a brunette, blonde or redhead.

Lets start with the lips. Many people shy away from red lipstick, but a dab of rouge on the lips can do wonders for every woman. Red lipstick, especially, can make lips appear fuller, and teeth whiter. And considering your smile is one of the first things people notice, you want your lips looking kissable. So, before you even apply the lipstick, make sure you prep your lips, as with the cold weather they can get chapped, and split easily.

Firstly, apply some exfoliator and rinse with water. Then, using an old toothbrush, lightly brush in a circular motion, rinse, apply a dab of moisturiser, blot, and apply lip liner. This is especially important for red, as the colour bleeds and you could end up looking like The Joker, which you may not find so amusing.

Apply the lip liner within the lines; if you have thin lips you can go slightly over, but only a little. Next, apply your shade, testing it on your hand first to see how it fits with your complexion. If you had a red lipstick in the summer, you should change in the winter months, as we all get paler.

MAC has very long-lasting shades, such as Striking Red, which suits most, at around £13.50. However, for an even cheaper version, and a nice, deep, pinkish red, Boots Natural Collection does a great moisturising shade for only £1.99, also quite long-lasting.

A red coat always stands out, and has its place outside of Butlins. It can certainly make a big impression, especially since it’s the first thing that’s noticed about you. I always get compliments from both men and women when I’m out in mine. A red coat is best worn with all black as the contrast of the two colours works really well together, and since red is such a bold colour it shouldn’t be mixed too much.

You can pick up red coats from the high street, on a last-minute dash. M&S have a really nice round-neck, mid-length belted coat for £79.00. Oasis has a lovely vintage-inspired red mac, £48.00, that will easily take you through spring. If you don’t mind stretching your budget, Karen Millen has a stunning, signature, perfectly tailored moleskin coat for £210. If you are going to go for the red coat, you could wear the lipstick too – just make sure it’s matching, and blot it out a fair bit.

Red jeans are also huge at the moment, with celebs like SJP being seen out and about in them. If you’re going on a more casual date you could get away with wearing these. If you favour skinny jeans, Topshop has a really cool pair: MOTO Supersoft Dirty Raspberry Leigh Jean, £38.00, and MOTO Supersoft Skinny Watermelon Leigh Jean look pretty tasty too. Pair with a black blazer, white tee and black boots for a smart casual look, or kitten heels and a black biker-style leather jacket.

You could also dress in all black, and add a bit of spice with some red-hot heels. Kurt Geiger has some gorgeous platform shoe boots just in, Emily, for £85.

But remember the top/bottom rule: if your top is red, keep the bottom plain and simple, and vice versa.

So, whether you’re spending the night with a date or with friends, you’re sure to look Ravishing in Red (wink, wink).

Siobhan Copland