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With mistletoe season in full swing, priming your mouth for party pandemonium should be top of your beauty Christmas list.

Forget gazing into Mr Right’s eyes, with statement mouths on the style agenda he won’t be able to stop staring at your lips.

Dramatic lips were virtually a fashion accessory on the autumn/winter catwalks. Yves Saint Laurent showcased a glossy berry shade while Dolce & Gabbana models pouted in matte ruby red.

Leave the nudes and neutral hues until New Year and think high voltage drama with look-at-me lips.

If you haven’t got the time, energy or Christmas coins to splurge on a new festive outfit this year, an eye-catching pout is all you need to super-charge your seasonal look.

Go in search of your ‘signature shade’, which make-up artist Rae Morris says is “the colour that suits you perfectly and makes you look and feel great”.

Create a queue under the mistletoe. with lips looking this good, your pout is sure to be the star attraction this Christmas.

Get ready – Pout prep

Whether you steal a Christmas kiss under the mistletoe or ditch the men for lashings of Christmas cocktails, canapes and festive chit-chat, your lips will be working as hard as Santa and his elves during your party season peak.

Before you decorate your lips, prep them to create a smooth, even base that will dictate the final look: “to ensure a smooth application, buff and balm the lips before applying any colour,” says Rimmel London make-up artist Kirstin Piggott. “Use a lip scrub or a toothbrush to remove any dry flakes of skin, then lightly apply a lip balm, remembering to remove any excess, as this prevents your lipstick from sliding off.

“Then apply a little foundation over your mouth as a base for your lip colour – this will help prevent the colour from bleeding.”

Try: Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub, £4.50 (www.lush.co.uk); Chapstick Strawberry Lip Balm, £1.19 (nationwide); GOSH Velvet Touch Lip Primer, £9.99 (Superdrug).

Set – Colour slick

Forget the clutches and costume jewellery, think of your chosen colour as your killer accessory for the party season.

Your shade needs to pack a punch, brighten up your outfit and enhance your appearance – all in a 30-second slick of a lippy, gloss or tint.

Be a seasonal siren in a festive red that would give Father Christmas’s coat a run for its money.

“Red lips are intense, elegant and an instant way to brighten your complexion,” suggests L’Oreal Paris’s creative director James Kaliardos. “bright reds suit paler skins while tanned complexions can pull off deeper plum and burgundy shades.”

Dramatic lips look their best when they punctuate an otherwise nude face – a wash of subtle eyeshadow on your lids and a touch of mascara are all you need.

Try: Revlon Fire & Ice Lipstick, £7.29 (Boots exclusive); Clinique High Impact Lip Colour in Sassy Spice, £14.50 (www.clinique.co.uk); Bourjois Sweet Kiss Les Rouges, £7.99 (0800 269 836).

Drinking, nibbling, nattering – and potentially smooching – are a prerequisite of any party queen’s advent calendar.

Festive fun can result in lipstick smudges, fading and mystery disappearance but who wants to be permanently attached to a compact mirror for reapplications?

Give your lips longevity with a longwear product that’s designed to stay put.

“Powder lightly around your mouth – but not on lips – if you have a tendency for lip bleeds,” advises make-up artist Rae Morris.

“Pencil in the whole lip if you want to use a lip liner, so when your lipstick fades you’re not left with an Eighties lip line.

“if you want your colour to last longer, use lip gloss more in the winter because of the drying effects of the weather.”

Try: Rimmel London Lasting finish Lipstick in Heart Breaker, £4.99 (www.rimmellondon.com); Max Factor Lipfinity Lip Tint in Royal Plum, £6.99 (Boots/Superdrug); Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lipstick, £17 (www.esteelauder.co.uk).

ghd styling session at HOB Salons, £28 for half an hour (0207 485 7272)

I’m constantly teasing my poker straight hair into waves during party season, but rollers and tongs have always been my tools of choice. Despite the name, straightening irons are being used more and more to create the perfect curl, so I was intrigued to sit in the hot seat at a ghd styling session to pick up a few professional hints.

To celebrate the new ghd Gold Classic Styler, £129, ghd are collaborating with HOB salons until December 31 to create ‘Belle of the Ball’ looks. You choose from five glamorous styles featured in the ad campaign: Screen Siren, Femme Fatal, Leading Lady, Bombshell or Vixen. I decided on Bombshell; soft voluminous curls to liven up my limp locks.

My stylist got to work on my dry hair, advising day-old washed hair is preferable for holding a curl. the technique of curling with ghds can be tricky to master yourself as it involves holding your hair at an angle and twisting – the longer your hair is, the harder it is to continue the ‘wrist twist’. but watching my stylist at work gave me the inspiration to try at home with more confidence and practise, practise, practise.

As my appointment was in the morning and my Christmas party in the evening, the curls were initially tighter than I expected, but my stylist explained that after a few hours and exposure to damp snowy weather, the curls would drop, so it’s advisable to work with a tighter wave for longevity.

One party frock and pair of heels later, my hair looked exactly like the glamorous Bombshell shot I wanted and I managed to squeeze another two days out of my new sultry ghd wave.

Get into the spirit of goodwill and buy a stocking filler for a good cause. Aveda’s limited edition Christmas Collection gift sets are supporting communities protecting the rainforest. Priced from £20, the box sets currently boast savings of between £8-£28 (0870 034 2380/www.aveda.co.uk).

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