30 Lipsticks in 30 Days! Day 22: Paula Dorf Lip Color Sheer Tint in Calypso

5:00 PM, August 31 2011

By Jessica Matlin

If you’ve never worn red before, I’d start here.

Calypso’s not-quite-red, not-quite-brown shade is pretty translucent—the color complements your natural lip shade, rather than obscuring it. I put on three or four coats in one hour (nervous habit, I guess), and it never once got Cruella-like.

And unlike a serious, full-on matte red, Calypso’s formula is super-balmy: Applying it will feel as familiar as swiping on Chapstick. After three practice runs, I’ll bet you won’t even need a mirror. Red for beginners, red for every day, red for Saturday afternoon...and after three months, you might even start entertaining the idea of a real red-red.