Tell Me Your Favorite Red! (And Keep in Mind I'm Extremely Chicken.)

For years, I've sort of mournfully admired people who can wear red lipstick. Cat Marnell can do it; our eBay-obsessed Jennifer Romolini can do it; I cannot. My face is inherently wonky-looking with red lipstick, and that's all there is to it.

But recently, a makeup artist told me the problem is NOT that I'm so very ill-suited for red—it's because, in my heart of hearts, something about me doesn't WANT to wear red lipstick, and thus I see myself in it and think I look bad. I like a good pop-psych analysis (not to mention the implication that I'm not inherently wonky in the face). So I'm attempting to WANT to want to wear red lipstick, which entails easing into it. I'm starting with this very pretty Nivea gloss, which is an unscary clear red (if that makes any sense). But once I get used to the Nivea, I'm going to need to up the ante. What favorite of yours should I try?

—Cristina Mueller, senior beauty editor