I turned 26 two weeks ago, and I have made a lot of very important decisions:

1. I no longer care about weird stares on the street (we call this “the year we stopped giving f**ks”).
2. I need to start being more religious about skincare.
3. I want to eat an enormous caesar salad every day because they’re my favorite.
4. In conjunction with number 1, I want to try rocking bold lipstick because, damnit, I’m getting old and I wanna.

Besides, for the last three months, I’ve been unable to crack open a magazine without coming across an enormous piece about vivid lipstick, and it’s starting to infiltrate my brain.

I shared this privileged information with a few friends, and the girls over at Borghese and Bromley Group must have felt a change in the wind, because the next thing I knew, Jen and I had a pile of the brightest, most vivid and terrifying lip colors at the HQ doorstep. And when I say “terrifying,” I mean… bright. Like, solar flare bright. Sequins in the sun bright. Waking up under an interrogation lamp bright.

Presenting: Borghese B Moisture Advanced Care Lipcolors

Left to Right; Misto Mandarino, Grappa, Primale Pink, and Carnivale Red

Can you still see? Are you cognizant?

After staring at these puppies for about 4 days, I supposed I got a shot of Jameson bit of bravery in me because I ended up reaching for one last week. Being completely uncomfortable with almost any lip color, you’d think I’d reach for something a bit familiar, easy. Something that’s not eye gauging, radiation emitting, cartoon style RED. Red Carnivale, to be exact.

I’m glad it’s blurry because otherwise you might see the fear in my eyes. Which there definitely was. I would have photoshopped it out, but this way, I don’t have to.

So, I’ve made a tally of all the times I’ve worn red lipstick, and put it here: | (Does being seven years old affect the validity of this at all? If so, remove that last one.)

What I know about red lipstick is this: APPLY WITH BRUSH OR MEET YOUR EMINENT DEMISE. This is thanks in part to beauty blogs and the advice I sought frantically right before I put it on my face. Fortunately, I had a lipstick brush from approximately 400 years ago that I dusted off and washed.

Obviously, I am a pro at this. I’m a little surprised it didn’t end up all over my teeth.

The stuff actually smelled pretty nice. A big part of my aversion to lipstick is that waxy, creamy chemicals smell that most of the tubes I’ve tried seem to have. The kind of smell that makes you so terrified of accidentally licking your lips that you forget to eat all day because of the terror.

With Q-Tips on hand, I painstakingly applied the rest in a mirror. That is a lie. I applied it in the “Take Photo” screen of my Tumblr. No shame.

The results, shockingly enough… I was comfortable with. In fact, I was so comfortable with it that not only did I wear it out that night, I reapplied. I did. I felt like a badass, a serious, red-lipped, Jessica Rabbit badass.

As far as the quality – I don’t have a ton of experience to call on, but it was super creamy when I initially put it on, and man – it is a true red. I’m not going to lie to you and say that I never once reapplied throughout the night (in part because I already told you that I did) – I totally did. I am a lip balm addict to begin with, so when my lips feel the least bit dry, I slather them with something. In this case, it was fun to reapply lipstick and know that my face felt dynamic, visually… That pop of interest was there, and it felt exciting!

Throughout the night, I would ask my boyfriend, Whim, to lipstick-check me. “Is it on my teeth?” “Do I have the lip-liner-rim thing?” “IS IT ALL OVER MY FACE?” I’m pleased to report that each of these questions was met with a resounding “no,” and allowed me to keep my confidence until I washed it off (damp cloth, that’s it).

You can snag Borghese B Moisture Advanced Care Lipcolor from their website for $24.

Other places you can find this perfect lipstick:

• At Amazon for $18.24
• On eBay for all kinds of prices (definitely cheaper!)
• At DERMSTORE for the retail price of $24.50

So, while I’m still a bit timid, I’m feeling a bit more brave about trying the other colors. I’m forcing Jen to try Misto Mandarino (the beautiful orange color) and she’s forcing me to try Grappa (that amazing purple). Stay tuned!

Tell me about you adventures in lipstick! Your successes, your failures, and everything in between!