Red lips are a beauty classic, and are the perfect party accompaniment to a little black dress. They’re also a favourite with the A-list, with celebrities such as Dita Von Teese, Leighton Meester and Taylor Swift sporting bright red lips on the red carpet in recent months.

Some celebrities, such as Dita, wouldn’t be seen without their iconic red lips, which are a nod back to the days of Hollywood glamour when red lipstick was as common as wearing a hat and matching bag/shoes.

Others such as Taylor Swift are red lipstick converts. Taylor was introduced to the classic look on the cover shoot for Allure earlier this year, and she loved the look so much, she begged uber make-up artist Gucci Westman, to give her a tube of her own!

Fellow red lip lover Scarlet Johansson says “I’m a huge believer in the power of lipstick, especially red – it’s like instant glamour in a tube.” It’s the beauty essential you should ALWAYS carry in your bag as it can brighten up your face, glam up your look and make you feel very confident – not bad for a small tube of lipstick.

Once you’ve found the right colour for you – and we really recommend you visit a beauty counter to get the perfect shade – application is key to this look. The Hollywood look is back in vogue now so line your lips first, then fill in with your chosen shade using a lip brush. Then blot, blot and blot some more for that perfect glam look.

We’ve rummaged around in our favourite red-lipped celebs to find out what shade they’ll be wearing under the mistletoe this year…

(L-R) Queen of the red lips, Dita Von Teese, adores MAC's Russian Red, £18.50;Cheryl Cole favours Max Factor’s Lipfinity in Charming, £9.99; Gwen Stefani loves Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lipstick in Exces de Rouge, £33