It's no secret I'm a bright lips kinda girl. I would throw on that bright fuschia/red regardless rain or shine, sundress or heavy winter scarf. But this year, I've been bitten by the dark lipstick bug and can't seem to shake it any time soon. Dark lips are scary, let's admit that. You could do what I did and dive in head first with an opaque bold colour, or you could do what normal and sane people do and ease into it. 

First things first, confidence. I've found that you could practically conquer the world if you have enough confidence that doesn't come off as irritatingly cocky. A fine line, I know. But basically, what I'm trying to say is that if you believe that you can pull off a dark lip, then you'll start thinking that you look good wearing it and will be more willing to wear it outside the comforts of the bedroom. 
Next, go for a sheerer option if you're trying to dip your toes into the hue. Take a brush and mix it with some lip balm to sheer it out if the one dark lipstick you own is an 'in your face' opaque option. 
If you still want an opaque statement lip, then mix that darker hue with something lighter. Play colour mixing like you did in grade school (admittedly, I only knew how to mix purples, blues and about 500 shades of grey). Along similar lines, don't go from 0 to 100. Start easing into the darker side of the colour spectrum by itching forward. If you're used to wearing bright reds, then itch from mid-toned reds to darker reds to well, really dark reds. Move along the colour family that you're comfortable in. It'll be less of a shock compared to, say, jumping from baby pinks to a black-purple. 
Go easy on the rest of the makeup. A dark lip is a statement in itself. There's no need to start clanking gongs when you're still trying to ease into the new world of darker hues. A clean base, soft defined brows, and lashings of mascara. Baby steps, my child, baby steps. 
Avoid mirrors, but take those selfies. Weird advice? I always find myself double guessing if it was a smart choice to wear that dark berry hue whenever I see my reflection in mirrors or shop windows. But, for some weird reason, the darker shades always look quite nice in the selfie I discreetly took in the corner of the coffee shop. I'm not sure how universally applicable this is, so do let me know if this happens to you as well. 

Or you could throw everything I mentioned out the window and slick on that dark berry shade, walking out the door with the amount of confidence that would awaken Hades from the underworld. That's also an option. To each their own. Which kind are you?  With Love,  Daphne x