Truth be told, I SO would! But a quick look at my personal stash revealed that I don’t have any orange lipstick which means I’m hitting up macpro.com right after typing this post. Of course, there’s a time and a place for such a bold hue; I wouldn’t wear it to my conservative work office, but I would for a night out for drinks with the girls, or some other fun occasion.

In case you were so inclined to take a walk on the wild side, here’s a quick guide on what to look for when it comes to your skin tone:

Fair Skin (think Nicole Kidman or Kelly Osbourne): Try a more modest pinky-orange. Anything too dark and bright will be too much for your fair skin. Try MAC Lipstick in CB 96 or Make Up For Ever Lipstick in Pinkish Orange 403.

Medium Skin (think Sarah Jessica Parker or Rachel Bilson): Try a medium pumpkin-ish orange like MAC Lipstick in Meltdown.

Tanned Skin (think Jessica Alba or Eva Mendez): Go for a bright warm orange like Make Up For Ever Lipstick in Flourescent Orange 201.

Olive Skin (think Padma Lakshmi or Lakshmi Menon): Go for a neutral orange like MAC Lipstick in So Chaud.

Dark Skin (think Gabrielle Union or Alek Wek): Brighter hues show up so beautifully on darker skin tones, so be bold and try an orange like MAC Lipstick in Morange.

Don’t get too caught up in racial or ethnic backgrounds when it comes to skin color. People of different racial or ethnic backgrounds can have similar coloring and therefore can wear similar makeup shades. The suggestions I made above are not absolute–you can definitely try shades for a skin tone that differs from yours (for instance MAC Lipstick in Morange can be worn by a multitude of tones).

One thing that is universal is that if you’re going to rock the orange lip, keep everything else understated or run the risk of being hauled off by the Insane Clown Posse or a Dynasty extra.

For tips on how to apply a bold lip, check out Ask Danielle: Lips 101.