Still making your Chinese New Year rounds? With all the eating, drinking and gossiping that go on, your mouth needs some super-duper lip colour to stay the course.

One piece of advice: Steer clear of sheer lipsticks which, while a cinch to apply, won?t last very long if you need a dash of festive red to last you through the day.

Instead, pick cream or matte lipsticks. The flip side, however, to wearing a long-lasting lipstick is it may dry your lips out. So look for lipsticks that hydrate at the same time.

Using the right techniques also helps. Brenda Loke, marketing, communications and PR manager of French beauty brand Clarins, shares a few tips:

Powder your lips with loose or compact powder before applying lipstick to help the colour stay on better.

For natural-looking lip definition and to keep your lipstick from bleeding, line your lips with a lip pencil after - not before - applying your lipstick.

Your lip pencil should be of a similar shade as your lip colour.

Next, use a lip brush to soften and blend any harsh edges or lines.

Finally, blot your lips with an oil-absorbing sheet and reapply your lipstick.

Voila, lips that will last you through the festivities, or at least the feasting.

Here are a few of the latest lipsticks that are perfect for this red-is-great season.

CLARINS LE ROUGE (PASSION)

Leaves lips supple and well-hydrated thanks to its plant-based ingredients which soothe and moisturise. Also protects lips with vitamins C and E. Price: $32, from all Clarins counters, including those at Isetan Orchard and Isetan Scotts.

ELIZABETH ARDEN PLUMP PERFECT (PERFECT RED)

Adds fullness and volume to lips while moisturising and protecting with Tahitian gardenia extract and vitamins A, C and E. Price: $38, from all Elizabeth Arden counters, including those at Takashimaya and Isetan Scotts

MAC RETRO MATTE (RUBY WOO)

A no-shine, all-matte finish that is pigment-rich and boasts intense colour. Price: $28, from MAC counters at Isetan Scotts, Robinsons Raffles City, Tangs Orchard, Tangs VivoCity and B1-36 Ngee Ann City

CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE (PASSION)

Chanel?s latest offering comes in a tube inspired by a ballpoint pen. Simply press the tip to release the lipstick and swivel in its holder. Price: $42, from all Chanel beauty counters, including those at Tangs Orchard and Takashimaya

ESTEE LAUDER PURE COLOR (CLASSIC RED)

Provides intense colour with high shine. Vitamins C and E and natural emollients keep your smackers supple and firm while protecting them from free-radical damage. Price: $33, from all Estee Lauder counters, including those at Isetan Scotts and Tangs Orchard

BOBBI BROWN LIP COLOR (BURNT RED)

A non-drying, matte formula with rich coverage. Dermatologist-tested and contains antioxidants and vitamin C and E. Price: $31, from all Bobbi Brown counters, including those at Isetan Scotts and Takashimaya

YVES SAINT LAURENT ROUGE PUR (LE ROUGE)

Continuous hydration with moisturising ?micro-spheres? which gradually release their moisture along with SPF 8 to combat photo-ageing. Price: $33, from YSL counters at Tangs Orchard, Takashimaya and Metro Paragon.