If you know me, you know I am rarely– if ever– seen without red lipstick. Taylor Swift, circa 2012, made it look so easy for my high school self to get into. Tracee Ellis Ross assured me I’m not crazy for breaking it out even in the most casual settings. (Red lips at the gym? An actual queen.) Here I am now, an adult woman that will skip several days of washing her hair but won’t leave the house without a red balm at the very least. It makes me feel as pretty as I do empowered and brightens up my face better than any blush ever could.

As someone who has tried every brand, shade, and finish in the books, I truly wonder why people are still so scared of red lipstick. I’ve heard every excuse out there: “It’s too high-maintenance!” “I feel like a clown!” “It looks weird with my hair/skin/features!” Red lips date back to as early as 3000 B.C., so don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. Your shade is out there, you just haven’t found it yet.

If you’re on the fence about rocking red, I’m not going to try to convince you anymore. I’ll let these badass ladies do it instead: