You'd have to be colorblind not to catch that orange is all the rage right now.

When I walked into Sephora a while back and saw that the authority on color, Pantone, had collaborated with the beauty brand to create a makeup collection centered around the citrus-y shade typically blazoned on day lilies and construction workers, I felt a color trend being coerced into my brain's palette.

Seeing the hue that has no rhyme reminds me of way back in 2001, when I worked as a retail makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics. Our counter manager told us "never to judge the more "mature" ladies who buy Morange lipstick in bulk. Wearing orange reminds them of a time in their life when they felt their most beautiful."

I never did denounce; in fact, I made it a point to buy my very own tube of Morange. I wore that bold pumpkin lip with matte skin and a simple eye flicked with a checkmark of black liner. I even had stripes of rust incorporated into my then-dreadlocks to coordinate with my new fave.

And now, it's all coming around again as hues of apricot, coral and straight-up vibrant orange are everywhere. Goldfish-themed manicures, Dorito-colored denim, cheddar-chalked or colored hair, marigold shoes and yes, fiery makeup are making fashion-forward statements right now.

Here are a few tips to make the tangerine trend work for you.

1. Pick your battle. Choose only one area to emphasize when using orange. If it's your makeup, don't wear the orange jeans or try to choose one feature to place the color on. Don't be like me and necessarily coordinate your hair to your lipstick. Especially if it's orange. It's just a bit – much. A solo splash of bright carrot or a sheer wash of soft salmon strategically placed is effective and tasteful. The lips or cheeks are an especially lovely place to wear the makeup trend, while a pop of the pigment works fantastically as a solo accessory like a purse, pair of heels or chunky necklace.


2. Pick the proper shade for your skin tone. Bright, true orange actually works on most skin tones because of the high contrast, but is especially flattering on darker complexions. Remember that melons and sherbets qualify as orange too, so if you have pink undertones the softer, more pastel versions may work better for you.


3. Have fun with it. Be bold. Try something new. Even if it doesn't result in your best ever look or most flattering, rock that orange with confidence. Color is courageous and says you are a risk-taker! Go for it!