My adventures in lip color have really just started.

What I mean is that I didn’t own a tube of lipstick until March of this year. For some reason, I was under the impression that I have really thin lips and color would make them look thinner. Turns out (A) my lips are pretty average and (B) lipstick pops on my fair skin. Win!

After I bought my first lipstick at America’s Beauty Show with some careful consulting with my MODERN co-editor Chandler Rollins (it’s a classic red with strong blue undertones), I started impulsively snatching them up left and right. How had I missed this all my life?! What was my life before lip color?! I didn’t even know.

I was exceptionally excited to attend The Makeup Show Chicago this year, and it was everything I’d hoped for and more. I stayed all of Saturday and attended workshops, keynote speakers and, of course, shopped. Oh, did I shop.

Chandler told me to keep an eye out for Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, so I made sure to go to their demo at the show. I also got a nice goody bag that had the OCC Tarred and Feathered lip balm duo, which was the product the brand started with 10 years ago that they’ve recently brought back.

Not only is the makeup wonderful, the people are way cooler than me but very open and approachable. I dashed to their booth after the demo to snag primer (because I needed some and why not) and some of their infamous Lip Tar. Buying just one was a very real struggle—and in retrospect, I should have just caved and gotten another one… or four. I digress.

Let me tell you about Tarred and Feathered and how it’s going to change your makeup collection—namely your lip color collection—forever.

Both balms can be used on their own and go on relatively sheer. Tarred will add some depth and Feathered will take it away. It’s your fourth-grade art class all over again: Add black for deeper, darker colors and add white for lighter, brighter hues.

This means—brace yourself here, maybe sit down—that aside from using the hydrating balms solo, you can add either one to your favorite lipsticks, Lip Tars, stains, etc. and get a whole different shade than what you originally purchased.

Did you get that? Are you breathing?

Basically, it works as such: You have a favorite winter berry shade that you really miss in the summer. Add some white and it’s pinkier, brighter and suddenly screams summertime.

Your favorite classic red can now transform into a vampy hue (Tarred) or more pink (Feather) for whatever your daily whims are.

Bonus points for the balms being good to your lips; they contain hemp and peppermint oils, vitamin E, cocoa seed butter and shea butter, and they’re gluten, silicone and paraben free.

If you don’t have it, you need it. I frequently use with my go-to Lip Tar, “Strumpet,” for variations on a nice merlot color. Darker makes me feel a little edgy (which is saying something because I’m about as edgy as a bouncy ball), and lighter is a punchy, bright fuchsia that makes days feel sunnier even when they aren’t.

Also, go ahead and grab a couple Lip Tars when you’re at it. They go on liquid but dry more like a stain that lasts all day long. I do tend to have problems with color bleed, and I’m weird about liners, so I’ll just dust some mineral powder over my lips while the color is still wet, and that sets it for me.

Your favorite lip brush will be key here—I use one from NYX that has just enough of a point to let me carefully create the shape I want but enough width to not be a pain when I’m slathering stuff on. OCC has its own line of brushes as well.

Images are dark to light (Tarred+Strumpet, Strumpet alone, Feathered+Strumpet). Go to occmakeup.com to get all the goodies.