There are no rules in makeup. Want to wear dark colors in the summer? Go for it; my lips were perpetually stained a deep red wine color this past season.

No rules in makeup. And yet, I cannot deny always feeling some kind of social pressure to only wear neutrals or quiet mauves and pinks for the “every day look.” I’ve been told time and time again that the deep plums, purples, browns, and cherry reds are “too much” and “too bold” to be worn outside of special occasions, “too much” for school.

Too often am I convinced that I need to find comfort in conformity. Sure, I love the flesh colored nude lipsticks that pair well with anything, the subtle mauves that bring out the natural flush in my olive undertones, but I am against the narrative that I should enjoy these colors over the bolder, less common colors because at least these flesh-toned cosmetics are more “natural.” But why would I want to conform my makeup looks to what everyone else is wearing if there are absolutely no rules for cosmetics?

My main reason for this opposition is that wearing these bold, non-traditional lip colors is essentially a power move for me. I mean, I immediately don’t just “fit in,” but I stand out, and it feels good. AMAZING, actually. Having those deep browns or purples on my lips reinforces for me the power that makeup has – it doesn’t matter if others think I can “pull it off” or not; all that matters is how it makes me feel.

Additionally, wearing these outside-of-the-box shades warrants compliments from others and has even opened up conversations to talk about the brand, shade, and formula – anything that can be said about a lipstick. So I know I’m not the only one who gets such a confidence boost from these transformative cosmetics weapons. I took this idea and started to ask my friends of Color if they’d be willing to showcase their confidence and radiance from wearing these bold lipstick shades. And as I’d expected, I received plenty of wonderful entries.

I think the act of wearing bold lipstick is an act of resistance against social norms/what is considered “comfortable” in public, or generally places where everyone is supposed to look a certain way. We should honor ourselves for wearing these bold lipsticks because we feel confident wearing them!

1) Patrick Mahaney in Colourpop's Matte Liquid Lipstick "Guess."

2) Scherezade in Tarte's Matte Lip Paint in "Love Spell." She says, "Lipstick makes me feel ready to tackle the professional world!"

3) B Zain in Colourpop's Satin Liquid Lipstick "Petit Four."

4) Soerny in Colourpop's Lippie Stick in "Chilli Chilli"

5) B Zain in Pretty Zombie Cosmetics' "Black Cat."

6) Wilna in NYX's Liquid Suede Lipstick in "Subversive Socialite."

Try going out of your comfort zone with some of these gorgeous colors!! What do you wear when you're feeling bold?