Natalie Fitzgerald is this week’s guest blogger. 

About two years ago I started to wear red lip-stick. Now this may seem quite inconsequential. After all, it’s just lip-stick. However, I have a theory. That wearing red-lipstick has helped change my life for the better. I know. It’s crazy, a little vain and somewhat simple. But let me explain.

For, what I would estimate to be the better part of a year I wanted red lips. Not a subtle colouring. Bright, red, here-I-am lips. But I didn’t think I was quite…’cool’ enough to pull it off. I went to department stores and tried on all different shades of red. Ultimately discarding the colour with a tissue before purchasing my go-to light-pink.

To cut a long(ish) story short, I eventually found my brave (with thanks to gorgeous friends) and started wearing red lip-stick. The more I painted my lips red, the more compliments I seemed to receive, and the braver I got. The braver I got, the brighter the red. The brighter the red, the more frequent and flattering the compliments. At first I figured people just really like red lip-stick. Because it didn’t seem to matter what I was wearing or the level of mess my hair was in, people still said nice things to me.

On the days I was feeling super brave I’d wear my bright red lips with my bright red stilettos and strangers would stop me in the street. And of course, it was a wonderful feeling. To be complimented. It made me feel good. Confident and beautiful. Happy and energetic.

Thankfully I was able to reach past my inflating ego, engage my brain and ponder the wonder that is the red-painted lip. During the pondering it occurred to me the compliments were not because the general population has an affinity to red-lips. They were because the red lip-stick made me feel good about myself. It made me feel brave, strong and worthy. And that showed. In my smile. In the way I held myself. Even in the way I communicated. That’s what people were attracted to and that that’s what people were admiring. Not my red-lips as such. But my red-lipped confidence induced happy and the consequential joy that comes from believing in yourself.

So….Buy the red lip-stick! Or the sky-high heels. Or the skinny jeans and midriff. Or that fabulous bikini for summer. Don’t think about it. Don’t question if you ‘can’. Whatever it is you’ve wanted so much to be seen in, but haven’t felt brave enough to do. Buy it. Wear it. You are worthy. And you are beautiful. If you believe it, the rest of the world will too.

Natalie Fitzgerald is a managing partner at Strata Sense and a member of the Women in Strata steering committee.

We’re looking forward to seeing you and your red lip-stick this Friday at our breakfast event at Macquarie Bank Sydney. Grab your last minute ticket here.