How do you feel when someone brings up the topic of lipstick? Does it excite you? Give you anxiety? Make you want to have a night on the town? When I

think of lipstick, I'm often taken back to a job interview I had as a teenager, where I had no clue that my lipstick had smeared on my teeth—for the entire interview. When I got home and saw myself in the mirror, I wanted to curl up in a ball and go into hiding. I'm pretty sure that's why I've stayed far away from lipsticks in my adult years, which, let me tell you, isn't easy to do as a beauty director. It took more than a decade and the launch of Merit's Signature Lip ($26) collection for me to change my tune.

The new line has eight classic shades from the perfect brick red to the prettiest soft berry, so it's easy for anyone to find their signature color. The formula means business, too. Plant-derived squalane and sunflower-seed oil provide a comfortable finish and offer long-lasting moisture. Stabilized vitamin C promotes collagen production, which helps diffuse the appearance of lines, while raspberry oil soothes and moisturizes your lips. Long story short: It's a comfortable lipstick with the feel (and benefits!) of a balm—and it's not here to play. But we are! I tapped a mix of beauty- and fashion-loving editors and content creators to pick their own signature shade and share their thoughts on the launch.