Looks I Want to Be Able to Pull Off

I am in love with all of the red and pink lips going on this season.  This look is so difficult for me to pull off.  First, because I don't usually wear dark lips...I'm more of a balm/gloss kind of girl.  Second, I hate anything that looks trying-too-hard.  Third, my lips are so freaking dry that most regular lipsticks flake off me.

However, I want to find some sort of balm or super moisturizing lip color with extra pigments. That, or here are a couple of ideas I have to pull off these lip looks.

• Get a little tube of Aquaphor that everyone raves about, and use it every night before bed to keep the dry lips away.

• Use sugar, a toothbrush or washcloth to regularly exfoliate my lips before applying a darker lip color.

• Use my little-used red or fuscia lipsticks as stains.  Instead of painting on the color, use a finger to smudge the color on the lips.  Blot with a tissue to stain, and apply a little balm on.

On a splurge note, I found out I'm going to the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball at Camp Pendleton with the boyfriend in November.  I think I can re-use a dress I have and dazzled heels, so might splurge on one of these new Bobbi Brown Rich Color Gloss--a full color lipstick, balm and gloss in one! Check out the hot red in this video...it could be my ball color!

Or a hot hot hot new pink that Whitney Port designed for CARGO, sold at Sephora.