Splurge or steal Red lipstick

Choose between dry matte or the London look

MAC ‘Ruby Woo’

Good old MAC. For the ultimate dry matte look, there’s no stick quite as striking as Ruby Woo. A favourite of makeup artists for costume dramas, it gives that classic vintage look but also stays well and truly put for a whole night out. Also on the plus side, it suits most skin tones, but take a moisturising lip balm with you if you’re planning to wear it all night, as the kind of hostile conditions you’ll face during a Beijing winter can dry it out. See MAC for more details on lipsticks and cosmetics.

Rimmel ‘Red Hot’

You can ‘get the London look’ in Chaoyangmen now that Rimmel has popped up in U-Town. So make like Rimmel ambassadors Kate Moss and Lily Cole, and pucker up with the brand’s signature red hot shade. It does require more re-applications than the MAC lippy, but when you can buy almost three sticks for the same price as one Ruby Woo, it’s a steal.

Rimmel U-Town Lifestyle Centre, 2 Sanfeng Beili (opposite Alien’s Street), Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district (5977 5858). Open 10am-10pm daily. 朝阳 区朝阳门外 大街三丰北 里2号