– Coco Chanel

After recently receiving my lost suitcase back from my trip to Brazil this summer (yes, that’s 7 weeks later), I finally started to put together my fall wear, which is basically my summer outfits paired with black tights and a slaying leather jacket. But what does change drastically are my fifty shades of red…lipsticks that is.

I’m often asked how I travel so confidently and my response most times is “if you look good, you feel good”. Lazy and late I only have time for lipstick, which is almost always a deep red to wake my morale like a hit of black coffee.

There are some inseparable classics in the world: like bread to butter, Edward to Bella, Netflix to chill, but my ultimate pairing is my black leather jacket to my matte Ruby Woo red lipstick.

There is nothing more satisfying than knowing your lips can actually boost your self-esteem (for me my ego) mountains high and cripple the unexpecting casual passerby’s sight.

It saddens me that some girls shy away from the color because an asshole once told them that it doesn’t suit well with their brown skin or thin lips. Cleopatra, a dark-skinned Egyptian woman, was known for crushing beetles and ants to get the right shade of scarlet for her lips. The phrase ‘Kiss of Death’ was coined because of the harmful toxins used to create the color, including lead, which often leads to serious illness and sometimes death.

So long story short, what I take away from history is that strong women of color died for us to be confidently embracing this sexy and powerful crimson on our lips today. Do not let anyone else tell you otherwise.

So folks, what did we learn today? Red is the one color no matter what skin tone or body type, you cannot go wrong with once you find the right shade.

This bold statement suggests that you have won the war and drank the enemy’s blood and are willing to showcase it as a warning to the entire world to not mess with you.