diff --git a/extension/src/popup/components/types/card.ts b/extension/src/popup/components/types/card.ts
index 531ccce..bb4fc00 100644
--- a/extension/src/popup/components/types/card.ts
+++ b/extension/src/popup/components/types/card.ts
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ export function renderForm(app: HTMLElement, mode: 'add' | 'edit', existing: Ite
     <div class="pad">
       <div class="detail-title" style="margin-bottom:16px;">${mode === 'add' ? 'new card' : 'edit card'}</div>
       ${state.error ? `<div class="error">${escapeHtml(state.error)}</div>` : ''}
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <input id="f-title" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(title)}" placeholder="Amex Gold"></div>
       <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-number">number</label>
         <input id="f-number" type="text" inputmode="numeric" value="${escapeHtml(c?.number ?? '')}" placeholder="378282246310005"></div>
diff --git a/extension/src/popup/components/types/identity.ts b/extension/src/popup/components/types/identity.ts
index d74e9ac..3df175b 100644
--- a/extension/src/popup/components/types/identity.ts
+++ b/extension/src/popup/components/types/identity.ts
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ export function renderForm(app: HTMLElement, mode: 'add' | 'edit', existing: Ite
     <div class="pad">
       <div class="detail-title" style="margin-bottom:16px;">${mode === 'add' ? 'new identity' : 'edit identity'}</div>
       ${state.error ? `<div class="error">${escapeHtml(state.error)}</div>` : ''}
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <input id="f-title" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(title)}" placeholder="Aaron Lee · personal"></div>
       <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-full-name">full name</label>
         <input id="f-full-name" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(c?.full_name ?? '')}" placeholder="Aaron Lee"></div>
diff --git a/extension/src/popup/components/types/key.ts b/extension/src/popup/components/types/key.ts
index 51a3016..7a9b0d6 100644
--- a/extension/src/popup/components/types/key.ts
+++ b/extension/src/popup/components/types/key.ts
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ export function renderForm(app: HTMLElement, mode: 'add' | 'edit', existing: Ite
     <div class="pad">
       <div class="detail-title" style="margin-bottom:16px;">${mode === 'add' ? 'new key' : 'edit key'}</div>
       ${state.error ? `<div class="error">${escapeHtml(state.error)}</div>` : ''}
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <input id="f-title" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(title)}" placeholder="github ssh"></div>
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-key-material">key material *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-key-material">key material <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <div style="position:relative;">
           <textarea id="f-key-material" rows="8" style="font-family:monospace;-webkit-text-security:disc;" placeholder="paste key here">${escapeHtml(c?.key_material ?? '')}</textarea>
           <button type="button" id="key-show-btn" class="btn" style="position:absolute;right:6px;top:6px;font-size:10px;padding:2px 8px;">show</button>
diff --git a/extension/src/popup/components/types/login.ts b/extension/src/popup/components/types/login.ts
index e66fc85..e050560 100644
--- a/extension/src/popup/components/types/login.ts
+++ b/extension/src/popup/components/types/login.ts
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ export function renderForm(app: HTMLElement, mode: 'add' | 'edit', existing: Ite
     <div class="pad">
       <div class="detail-title" style="margin-bottom:16px;">${mode === 'add' ? 'new login' : 'edit login'}</div>
       ${state.error ? `<div class="error">${escapeHtml(state.error)}</div>` : ''}
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <input id="f-title" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(title)}" placeholder="GitHub"></div>
       <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-url">url</label>
         <input id="f-url" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(url)}" placeholder="https://github.com/login"></div>
diff --git a/extension/src/popup/components/types/secure-note.ts b/extension/src/popup/components/types/secure-note.ts
index feea342..190e623 100644
--- a/extension/src/popup/components/types/secure-note.ts
+++ b/extension/src/popup/components/types/secure-note.ts
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ export function renderForm(app: HTMLElement, mode: 'add' | 'edit', existing: Ite
     <div class="pad">
       <div class="detail-title" style="margin-bottom:16px;">${mode === 'add' ? 'new secure note' : 'edit secure note'}</div>
       ${state.error ? `<div class="error">${escapeHtml(state.error)}</div>` : ''}
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <input id="f-title" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(title)}" placeholder="My recovery codes"></div>
       <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-body">body</label>
         <textarea id="f-body" rows="10" placeholder="paste secrets here">${escapeHtml(body)}</textarea></div>
diff --git a/extension/src/popup/components/types/totp.ts b/extension/src/popup/components/types/totp.ts
index 867a24b..c7ed87a 100644
--- a/extension/src/popup/components/types/totp.ts
+++ b/extension/src/popup/components/types/totp.ts
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ export function renderForm(app: HTMLElement, mode: 'add' | 'edit', existing: Ite
     <div class="pad">
       <div class="detail-title" style="margin-bottom:16px;">${mode === 'add' ? 'new totp' : 'edit totp'}</div>
       ${state.error ? `<div class="error">${escapeHtml(state.error)}</div>` : ''}
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-title">title <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <input id="f-title" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(title)}" placeholder="GitHub"></div>
       <div class="form-group"><label class="label">kind</label>
         <div class="inline-row">
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export function renderForm(app: HTMLElement, mode: 'add' | 'edit', existing: Ite
         </div>
         <p class="muted" style="font-size:11px;margin-top:4px;" id="kind-blurb">${formKind === 'steam' ? 'Steam Mobile Authenticator (5-char alphanumeric)' : 'Standard time-based codes (6 digits)'}</p>
       </div>
-      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-secret">secret (base32) *</label>
+      <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-secret">secret (base32) <span class="req">*</span></label>
         <input id="f-secret" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(secretB32)}" placeholder="JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP"></div>
       <div class="form-group"><label class="label" for="f-issuer">issuer</label>
         <input id="f-issuer" type="text" value="${escapeHtml(c?.issuer ?? '')}" placeholder="GitHub"></div>
diff --git a/extension/src/popup/styles.css b/extension/src/popup/styles.css
index 69d8d25..a698090 100644
--- a/extension/src/popup/styles.css
+++ b/extension/src/popup/styles.css
@@ -48,13 +48,19 @@ body {
 
 .label {
   font-size: 11px;
-  font-weight: 600;
+  font-weight: 500;
   color: #8b949e;
-  text-transform: uppercase;
-  letter-spacing: 0.5px;
+  text-transform: lowercase;
+  letter-spacing: 0.02em;
   margin-bottom: 4px;
 }
 
+.label .req {
+  color: #aa812a;
+  margin-left: 2px;
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+
 .secondary {
   color: #8b949e;
 }