Helen Skelton's red lip, topknot and pale denim is the outfit formula for effortless glam that we all need to follow

Helen Skelton’s outfit formula to achieve an effortlessly glamorous look includes a red lip, topknot and pale denim and we’re all for it.

Many of us will have a signature style day-to-day, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to sometimes add a bit more glamour depending on the occasion or our mood. Summer is a time filled with events and when we’re not reaching for our best wedding guest dresses we might want to be a bit bolder with our daily looks to match the brightness of the weather. If it’s inspiration you’re looking for, then Helen Skelton delivered it in 2023 when she showcased how to achieve a glamorous look with minimal fuss. Her outfit formula consists of a red lip, slicked back topknot and pale denim and if that sounds simple but effective, that’s because it definitely is.

The presenter posted a selection of pictures in March last year and praised her “inspiring wing women” from BBC Morning Live. In the first two snaps Helen was wearing a light wash denim dress with frilled short sleeves that formed a design detail running down the front.

Recreate Helen Skelton's Outfit Formula

The dress had practical pockets - as demonstrated by Helen in the photo -  and fell to a midi length, with a self-tie waist belt that accentuated its silhouette. The warm-toned blue of the denim was a pretty shade that was great for spring back then and summer right now and wouldn’t look out of place in any summer capsule wardrobe. 

Lighter wash denim is particularly popular this time of year and opting for a dress made getting on board with this trend even easier. Unlike co-ords or tops and bottoms, you can just throw on a dress and not worry about what goes with what. Helen wore a pair of simple grey heels with her dress and continued her outfit formula with a red lip.

When it comes to bold lip colours we all want to use the best long-lasting lipsticks to make sure our makeup stays in place and matte finishes often come out on top. Helen chose a classic red that wasn’t too blue-toned or yellow-toned and would work with so many different outfit colours. A red lip is often associated with Hollywood icons like Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe and so instantly add a sense of glamour.

Whilst some people might be uncertain about going so statement with their lipstick, if the rest of your makeup is relatively minimal then it not only celebrates the red lip, but balances the statement with the more pared-back. The BBC star also went for an easy hairstyle that she's loved for a while to go with her lipstick and denim dress.

She swept her blonde tresses up into a topknot and although the sides and top of her hair was smoothed down immaculately, she was happy to have a bit more texture in the topknot itself which made it seem a little more relaxed. It looks as though she also used the handy tip of wrapping one strand of hair around the base of her updo to cover any hair bands used.

It’s likely that there were several concealed bobby pins used to help keep Helen’s hairstyle perfectly in place too. It’s one of those hair up styles that can be made as sleek or as messy as you’d like and a topknot is also practical as it keeps your hair out of your face. If you love Helen’s outfit formula you could also recreate it with light wash jeans, a T-shirt and then a red lip and topknot too.