diff --git a/src/color.rs b/src/color.rs
index e0d6fe0..67ba1b6 100644
--- a/src/color.rs
+++ b/src/color.rs
@@ -7,20 +7,32 @@ use std::fmt;
 /// Shortcut to produce a String colored with one or more colors.
 /// Example:
 /// ```
-///   let s = color!("Red string", Red);
-///   let x = color!("Hyperlink-ish", Blue, Underline);
-macro_rules! color {
+///   let s = color_string!("Red string", Red);
+///   let x = color_string!("Hyperlink-ish", Blue, Underline);
+macro_rules! color_string {
     ($s:expr, $( $color:ident ),+) => {{
-        use crate::color;
-        let codes = [$( color::$color.as_ref() ),+];
-        if codes.len() > 1 {
-            format!("\x1b[{}m{}{}", codes.join(";"), $s, color::Reset)
-        } else {
-            format!("\x1b[{}m{}{}", codes[0], $s, color::Reset)
-        }
+        let mut out = String::from("\x1b[");
+        $( out.push_str(crate::color::$color::code()); out.push_str(";"); )+
+        out.push('m');
+        out.push_str(&$s);
+        out.push_str(crate::color::Reset.as_ref());
+        out.replace(";m", "m")
     }};
 }
 
+/// Shortcut to produce a color's ANSI escape code. Don't forget to Reset!
+/// ```
+///   let mut o = String::new();
+///   o.push_str(color!(Blue));
+///   o.push_str(color!(Underline));
+///   o.push_str("Hyperlinkish.");
+///   o.push_str(color!(Reset));
+macro_rules! color {
+    ($color:ident) => {
+        crate::color::$color.as_ref()
+    };
+}
+
 /// Create a color:: struct that can be used with format!.
 /// Example:
 /// ```
@@ -34,13 +46,20 @@ macro_rules! define_color {
         pub struct $color;
         impl fmt::Display for $color {
             fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
-                write!(f, "\x1b[{}m", self.as_ref())
+                write!(f, "{}", self.as_ref())
+            }
+        }
+        impl $color {
+            #[allow(missing_docs)]
+            #[inline]
+            pub fn code() -> &'static str {
+                concat!($code)
             }
         }
         impl AsRef<str> for $color {
             #[inline]
             fn as_ref(&self) -> &'static str {
-                concat!($code)
+                concat!("\x1b[", $code, "m")
             }
         }
     };
@@ -81,13 +100,13 @@ define_color!(WhiteBG, 47);
 mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_colors() {
-        assert_eq!(color!("Error", Red), "\x1b[91mError\x1b[0m");
+        assert_eq!(color_string!("Error", Red), "\x1b[91mError\x1b[0m");
         assert_eq!(
-            color!("Fancy Pants", Blue, Underline),
+            color_string!("Fancy Pants", Blue, Underline),
             "\x1b[94;4mFancy Pants\x1b[0m"
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            color!("Super-duper-fancy-pants", Magenta, Underline, Bold, BlueBG),
+            color_string!("Super-duper-fancy-pants", Magenta, Underline, Bold, BlueBG),
             "\x1b[95;4;1;44mSuper-duper-fancy-pants\x1b[0m"
         )
     }
diff --git a/src/menu.rs b/src/menu.rs
index 7479d1e..18bc9e6 100644
--- a/src/menu.rs
+++ b/src/menu.rs
@@ -213,7 +213,9 @@ impl Menu {
                 out.push_str("      ");
             } else {
                 if line.link == self.link && self.show_cursor() {
-                    out.push_str(&color!("*", Bold))
+                    out.push_str(color!(Bold));
+                    out.push_str("*");
+                    out.push_str(color!(Reset));
                 } else {
                     out.push(' ');
                 }
@@ -229,23 +231,29 @@ impl Menu {
 
             // truncate long lines, instead of wrapping
             let text = if line.text.len() > MAX_COLS {
-                line.text.chars().take(MAX_COLS).collect::<String>()
+                &line.text[..MAX_COLS]
             } else {
-                line.text.to_string()
+                &line.text
             };
 
             // color the line
-            out.push_str(&match line.typ {
-                Type::Text => color!(text, Cyan),
-                Type::Menu => color!(text, Blue),
-                Type::Info => color!(text, Yellow),
-                Type::HTML => color!(text, Green),
-                Type::Error => color!(text, Red),
-                Type::Telnet => color!(text, Grey),
-                typ if typ.is_download() => color!(text, Underline, White),
-                typ if !typ.is_supported() => color!(text, Red, WhiteBG),
-                _ => text,
-            });
+            if line.typ.is_download() {
+                out.push_str(&color_string!(text, Underline, White));
+            } else if !line.typ.is_supported() {
+                out.push_str(&color_string!(text, Red, WhiteBG));
+            } else {
+                out.push_str(&match line.typ {
+                    Type::Text => color!(Cyan),
+                    Type::Menu => color!(Blue),
+                    Type::Info => color!(Yellow),
+                    Type::HTML => color!(Green),
+                    Type::Error => color!(Red),
+                    Type::Telnet => color!(Grey),
+                    _ => color!(Red),
+                });
+            }
+            out.push_str(&text);
+            out.push_str(color!(Reset));
 
             // clear rest of line
             out.push_str(&format!("{}", clear::UntilNewline));
diff --git a/src/ui.rs b/src/ui.rs
index eb20db8..633b5d0 100644
--- a/src/ui.rs
+++ b/src/ui.rs
@@ -349,14 +349,14 @@ impl UI {
     fn render_conn_status(&self) -> Option<String> {
         let page = self.views.get(self.focused)?;
         if page.is_tls() {
-            let status = color!("TLS", Black, GreenBG);
+            let status = color_string!("TLS", Black, GreenBG);
             return Some(format!(
                 "{}{}",
                 termion::cursor::Goto(self.cols() - 3, self.rows()),
                 if self.config.emoji { "🔐" } else { &status },
             ));
         } else if page.is_tor() {
-            let status = color!("TOR", Bold, White, MagentaBG);
+            let status = color_string!("TOR", Bold, White, MagentaBG);
             return Some(format!(
                 "{}{}",
                 termion::cursor::Goto(self.cols() - 3, self.rows()),