As you can see from the title of this post, I’ve decided to stop labeling these “Beauty Talk.” The titles for these posts have been pretty long recently, so I decided to cut them down a bit.

A couple of weeks ago I talked about adding drama to a neutral eye look and one of my options was to add a bold lip. As I was writing the post I realized that a bold lip color can be intimidating to wear. When I first started wearing lipstick I was uncomfortable wearing neutral colors, so you wouldn’t have seen me wearing something that pops! Of course, over time that changed. When I first ventured into bold lip colors I went with red and it’s still one of my favorite looks today. If you’re interested in wearing a bold lip, but are a little intimidated by them, I have a couple of tips to become more comfortable.

1. Work with a professional to find the right shade. If this is your first time venturing into the bold lip category and you have a few extra dollars on hand, splurge on this item and head to a makeup counter or to Sephora where you can talk to make-up artist. They will help you find the shade that suits you best.

2. Wear it around the house. Think of bold lipstick like you would a new pair of heels. When I have any question about whether or not I’ll be comfortable in a new pair of shoes, I wear them around the house to break them in. Do the same with the lipstick. Wear the color around the house when you’re the only one who will be able to see it. You’ll start to get used to the look of the lipstick on your lips the more that you see yourself in the mirror and over time the product will become more comfortable to wear.

3. Prepare your lips. A bold lip–particularly if it’s matte–will show off imperfections. If you have dry lips, be sure to exfoliate them so that they’re smooth. You can rub the bristles of a toothbrush over your lips or you can use a lip scrub to exfoliate them. You can buy them pre-made (the scrubs from Lush and Fresh are often raved about) or you can make one yourself. Before applying the lipstick, use a lip balm to moisturize your lips. I like to put on lip balm and do the rest of my make-up. This gives the lip balm a chance to set on the lips so that the lipstick isn’t sliding.

4. Play around with the rest of your makeup to see what you like best. I don’t always wear eyeliner on my waterline, but if I’m wearing a bold lip I do. I think that I look best wearing a bold lip when my eyes are defined. So play around with your make-up to see what look you like best.

5. Use a lip liner. Lining your lips will sharpen the edges of your lips and create a defined look. It will also prevent the color from bleeding.

6. Have confidence. Wear that bold lip with confidence! If you’re uncomfortable, it’s going to show and it might just draw attention to your bold lip color. But if you’re comfortable and confident, if anyone notices, they’ll most likely be complimentary. Sure, there will be some people who just don’t like a bold lip color and that’s fine. They don’t have to wear one. Make sure that you’re wearing a bold lip color because it’s what you want to do, not to impress anyone else. So don’t worry about the people who don’t like it. We can’t please everyone.

Do you like to wear a bold lip? What are some of your tips and tricks?