Lipstick Without Other Makeup Challenge
A few months ago I decided to start a challenge for myself. I dubbed it the Lipstick Without Other Makeup Challenge or simply, the Lipstick Only Challenge. Below is a list of Q&As explaining what this challenge involved, why I started the challenge and what came from starting this challenge. Following will be a parade of photos showcasing my daily efforts in this challenge. Read on and I hope you will be interested in joining me!
The Lipstick Only Challenge is about breaking the rules.
Q: What is the Lipstick Only Challenge?
A: It is a challenge where you wear a different coloured lipstick each day without any other makeup (ie wear lipsticks barefaced) for at least 30 days in a row. The bolder the colours, the better it is! You can choose whether you want to share photos on social media or not. But it'll be fun to join in and I would love to see your photos. I am currently halfway through to my aim of 100 days and I upload my photos daily on my Instagram.
Q: Why are you doing this challenge?
A: There are several reasons that led to this challenge. I have a whole army of lipsticks collecting dust because I don't wear makeup on a regular basis. I had imagined myself wearing all sorts of crazy, fun, bold and interesting lip colours but I had been too afraid to do so without full face makeup. It is the social norm and professional opinion of most makeup artists that lipsticks, especially bold colours, should be worn with other makeup or at the very least foundation. But I have never liked coating my face in layers of products unless it was for special occasions. Then I realised, life is too short to follow the rules all the time. I will do what I want and thus the challenge was born. The bottom line is I wanted to do this for fun and to challenge the social norm, break the rules and inspire others while doing it.
Q: Sounds like you have quite a lipstick collection. Will you show us your collection in its entirety?
A: Yes, I will! I am aiming for 100 days of this challenge so more colours are to follow. Be sure to follow my Instagram for it. I will also be doing a post (or posts) to showcase my entire collection. Subscribe to my blog so you will be notified once the posts are published. All in good time!
Q: What was the outcome of this challenge for you thus far?
A: I am halfway through my target of 100 days. So far I have had a lot of fun and enjoyed trying the different colours I have collected. I found myself waking up each day looking forward to selecting a brand new lipstick to try out. To my surprise, I received a lot of compliments, most on the colours I never thought I would pull off or the bold and unconventional colours. I also discovered I suited most colours, some more than others but they were do-able. Of course there were the ones I didn't suit no matter what because they were too close to my skin-tone. Most of all I learned it was about wearing it with confidence. When you have the confidence to flaunt it, you will wear the colour right.
An extra bonus to this challenge was I felt I have gotten a lot better at taking selfies. I found my good angle and the best part of the house to take the photos in.
My lipstick application skills have much improved too. I have always struggled applying lipstick on myself because I have a non-distinctive lip line. After applying lipstick two to three times a day for almost 60 days now, I have become a lot faster and more precise in my application. Practice certainly makes perfect! I have also come to understand why the makeup gurus stress the importance of starting with a clean canvas for lipsticks. Most of my colours are liquid matte lipsticks which can dry out the lips over time. So it is important to exfoliate the lips from time to time and keep them well moisturised. I have found what works well for me is to have a layer of lip balm underneath my lipstick. Sure it can make the colour come off easier but it looks great. Now that I have mastered (some-what) applying lipstick, I am not afraid in my reapplication needs.
Perhaps the most exciting events stemming from this challenge were winning the Farmer's NYX Cosmetics giveaway and theBalm Cosmetics New Zealand giveaway. I decided to tag my posts with the necessary hashtags to enter the competitions. I never imagined I would win the competitions because there were a lot of other makeup artists out there who had the skills and ideas to shine in these competitions. Truthfully, I had thought it was a hoax when I was contacted by the organisers. (Posts for the giveaway unboxing are coming. Stay tuned.) In the end I learned that only by trying will you have a chance. By daring to do something new I had a lot of unexpected returns. The universe sure works in mysterious ways.
(UPDATE: here's the link to my prizes for Farmers NYX Giveaway)
Q: Sounds fun! Can I join this challenge?
A: Certainly! Make sure you have fun with it too and don't be afraid to try the colours you thought you will never pull off. If you do decide to upload it onto social media, don't forget to hashtag #lipstickonlychallenge to share your photos. I will be looking forward to seeing them. Help me make a statement to break the rules by hashtagging #challengesocialnorms. I hope you will receive many happy returns and don't forget to support each other in our efforts!
Live. Love. Laugh. Liberate.
- Avis Knows
Following are the first 50 days from my Lipstick Only Challenge. For the rest follow me on my Instagram! Feel free to comment below to tell me which was your favourite colour!
Day 1 - 5: NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam, Addis Ababa, Copenhagen, Budapest, and Manila.
Day 6 - 10: NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm, Morocco, Bangkok, Sydney, and Berlin.
Day 11 - 15: NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Moscow, and theBalm's Meet Matt(e) Hughes in Sentimental, and Devoted.
Day 16 - 20: theBalm's Meet Matt(e) Hughes in Honest, and NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Paris, Tokyo, San Juan, and London.
Day 21 - 25: NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp, Istanbul, San Paulo, Monte Carlo, and Milan.
Day 26 - 30: NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Zurich, Los Angeles, Athens, L'Cret Miracle Magic Lipstick in shade 01, and NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Ibiza.
Day 31 - 35: NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes, Transylvania, Seoul, Rome, and Madrid.
Day 36 - 40: NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Havana, Cairo, Prague, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
Day 41 - 45: NYX's Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Pink Lust, Vintage, Life's a Beach, Brooklyn Thorn, and Respect The Pink.
Day 46 - 50: NYX's Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Tea and Cookies, Cherry Skies, Soft-spoken, Run The World, and Foiled Again.
