Donning a statement lip can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Lipwear has blown up in mainstream media (thanks, Kylie Jenner), and there are now companies that are entirely devoted to making nothing but lip products.

This obsession has run wild as we see new colors and formulas gracing the streets of New York City. Gone are the classic shades of pink, red and orange. Today you’ll find lipcolor in shades of teal, yellow, black and even metallic. Designers like Anna Sui, Rodarte and Thom Browne showcased this bold, new statement lip on their runways at Fashion Week this fall.

If it feels a bit much to wear this trend to class, how about a statement lip that matches your skin tone? If your skin has cooler undertones, stick with colors in the pink or blue family. For warmer olive skinned students, try a lip color with orange or warm peach undertones.

To make lips look their best, make sure that they’re not chapped. Lining your lips with the color of your lip product or using a clear lip liner will also prevent your lipstick from feathering and wearing off after a long day of classes. So exfoliate dry lips, drink lots of water, use a lip balm with SPF, apply lip liner and rock that statement lip with confidence.

When going for a bold lip, make sure the rest of your makeup is subtle. By keeping the rest of your makeup minimalistic, your statement lip will be the focus of your look, and you also won’t look like you’re trying too hard. So, if you want to try out that black, liquid lipstick for class, blaze that trail. After all, you’re at NYU, where eccentricity is not only accepted but revered. People think that you have to have a lot of confidence if you wear a red, turquoise or black lip. Then again, do we know what really comes first? Is it the statement lip or the confidence?

If you want to wear a statement lip to class, go for it. It is, after all, a form of self-expression less permanent than that biomechanical tattoo, more colorful than your all black wardrobe and cheaper than any unique pair of shoes.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Oct. 24 print edition. Email Atea Stefani at [email protected].