I stood in front of my vanity last month, brown lip liner in one hand, clear gloss in the other, and asked the question I’d been avoiding for years: what if I wore something else?
If doing the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity, what does that say about a woman who has worn the same brown liner and clear gloss for as long as I can remember?
Here’s what I tell my clients when they freeze in front of the makeup mirror: your safe combination isn’t a flaw. It’s a formula that worked. But a formula can quietly become a cage. So I decided to find out what my lips would do if I stopped playing it safe.
The Duo That Pushed Me Out of the Comfort Zone
I chose The Lip Bar’s Nonstop Liquid Matte Duo — the viral lip looks set with two shades that can be worn separately or layered together. It Girl is a hot, intense pink. Muse is a deep berry. That’s the whole premise: solo shades, or a combined look with twice the impact.
Let’s be honest. I was barely ready for one bold lipstick. The idea of wearing both shades together felt like a commitment I hadn’t signed up for. So I started where I felt safest: with Muse, and my trusty brown liner.
That’s how I eased into color — a deep berry over a familiar base instead of jumping into the deep end.
The Confidence Formula: Comfort Zone + One New Shade = Safe Progress
When Your Outfit Is Already Making a Statement
I’ve spent years learning that I don’t blend in. I dress the way I want to dress — when a rule says I should avoid a piece, I usually want it more. So I already know what it feels like to draw attention.
But there is a difference between an outfit that gets you noticed and a loud pop of color sitting right in the middle of your face. The berry felt like adding a neon sign to a look that was already speaking up. For a moment I wondered if I was ready for that much volume.
Maybe that was the real reason I’d stayed loyal to my liner and gloss for so long. My clothes could make the statement while my lips stayed predictable.
Muse Meets an Orange Dress
Then I paired Muse with an orange knit dress from Ashley Stewart — and something clicked. The orange and the deep berry didn’t compete. They complemented each other. For someone who had spent years convincing herself a colorful lip was too much, I started to wonder if “too much” was even a real thing.
The Confidence Formula: Bold Top + Deep Berry Lip = A Statement That Works Together
The Formula, Swipe by Swipe
Muse is a liquid matte formula. I needed two to three swipes for the full coverage I wanted — the first swipe is a sheer wash of color, and building it up is where the richness comes from. It Girl took the same two to three swipes, and once the color built up, there was no hiding behind it.
Then came the tests I actually live by:
- An hourlong interview with a founder I admire — talking, smiling, coffee in hand. The lipstick was still there at the end.
- A happy hour with a new friend, plus three street tacos. Yes, three. It Girl was still on my lips.
The one honest note: the liquid matte formula did feel a little drying. I keep lip balm close by. But a lipstick that survives drinks, conversation and three tacos without disappearing has earned my respect.
The Confidence Formula: Two to Three Swipes + a Balm Safety Net = Long-Wear Without the Tightness
The Compliment That Changed My Mind
Then the compliments started. People called me a Black Barbie — in the US, that’s shorthand for a woman with a bold, glamorous look landing exactly right.
Me. The woman who had treated brown liner and clear gloss like a required uniform.
And instead of feeling like I was trying too hard, I felt like I had finally given myself permission to try something I’d been avoiding. The thing I was most nervous about became one of the first things people noticed — and it felt like confidence, not costume.
So maybe I wasn’t afraid of colorful lipstick. Maybe I was afraid of being seen differently. As someone who dresses outside the rules, I’ve already become comfortable with being looked at — but even when you’re used to that, there can still be parts of yourself you keep quiet. For me, apparently, that part was my lips.
My brown liner and clear gloss aren’t going anywhere. Some relationships are worth keeping. But now I know they don’t have to be the only relationship my lips have. Maybe I wasn’t insane for wearing the same combination for years. Maybe I was just comfortable — and there’s nothing wrong with comfortable. But now I know comfortable doesn’t have to mean constant.
Style isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about finding the version of you that’s been waiting for permission.
a note from Isabelle
If your signature lip is feeling a little quiet lately, this is your sign to try one shade outside your usual — you don’t have to go bold everywhere at once. Tell me in the comments what shade you’ve been afraid to try.
Related reads: Capsule wardrobe basics for busy women · Makeup for maturing skin · The Confidence Formula guide