Does this dark lipstick make me intimidating?

I suffer from "resting niceface."

Resting niceface is a condition where your relaxed, resting face looks extra friendly and approachable. Even if you’re tired or unhappy, your face says, “Hello! Please talk to me!” It’s the opposite of “resting bitchface,” where your resting face seems angry, even when you’re not. I’m not a huge fan of the term “bitchface,” for obvious reasons. It feeds into the idea that women should appear happy and pleasant at all times even though they're not robots. Plus, men can have a resting mean face too. (Granted, “resting meanface” doesn’t sound as cool and edgy.)

I would gladly trade my resting niceface for a resting bitchface. I would do a face transplant with a Halloween jack-o-lantern if I could find a willing surgeon. Because the secret is: I’m not THAT nice. I don’t want to chat with strangers. Ideally, I’d live in a cave and never talk to anyone. When I’m walking down the street in a crowd of people, clipboarders and people selling things always single me out. Sometimes people yell “bitch!” after me if I scurry away because I couldn’t live up to the niceness my face promised.

I needed a way to look less like a cherubic baby and more like an intimidating modern woman. I decided bold, edgy makeup was the answer. As black lipstick becomes less goth and more mainstream, I decided to try out some darker makeup to see if I could look less goody-goody and more burn-a-hole-in-your-soul-with-lasers-I-shoot-from-my-eyes.

Disclaimer: I am obviously not a professional makeup artist. I'm just a regular person who tries to wear makeup.

Joanna Borns / BuzzFeed

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