I love lipstick—the bolder, the better. It’s the fastest way to brighten up your face, in less than five seconds, in fact. So it really has become my go-to pick-me-upper.

 

But among all the lipstick shades out there, I am most intimidated by red. As much as I want to experiment with this crimson shade, I’ve always felt I am not daring or sexy enough. Yes, it can actually bring out my insecurities.

 

After years of helping my friends pick the right shade of red, last week I took the plunge, too. I was so adamant about finding the right red for me that I went through most of the counters I could see and asked the salesladies what they could recommend and what their most saleable shade was—and, of course, trying out and testing the lippies one by one.

 

The result is, I now have five shades of red that I was able to bring home with me (a little too much, no?). I promised myself I should use them once in a while, not because I’ve become more daring or sexy, but just for my look to benefit from a dash of red on occasion.

 

Here are 10 red lippies you should try out.