For some reason, I have always hated wearing lipstick. Perhaps it’s because I never took much of an interest in makeup, or maybe because I’m insecure about my thin lips. Either way, I decided to challenge my lipstick fear by wearing long-lasting liquid lipstick, courtesy of Rimmel London Provocalips Kiss Proof Lip Color, for five consecutive days.
On Day 1, I sat down at my desk to do my usual makeup routine before classes. Once I reached lips, I realized that I’ve never applied lipstick successfully before, and promptly enlisted the help of YouTube beauty guru NikkieTutorials. (You can watch her lipstick tutorial here—10/10 would recommend).
I’ll be honest. I had no idea that lipstick was supposed to be applied with a brush. Fortunately, I found an unused Elf lipstick brush in my makeup collection. I would strongly recommend using a brush to apply lipstick, especially if you’re a beginner like myself. It helped me apply the appropriate amount of color onto my lips and avoid smudging the lipstick.
Sitting on the bus on my way to my first class of the day, I noticed that I was feeling a little more self-conscious than usual. I felt more intimidating with dark lips, and as a result, I started overanalyzing interactions that I normally wouldn’t think twice about. For example, when a stranger didn’t sit next to me on the bus, I silently wondered if they avoided me because of the lipstick.
Feeling self-conscious wore off pretty quickly though, and I soon realized that I was taking a lot more selfies than usual. I don’t view this as a bad thing, but looking through the photos on my phone and finding various selfie photoshoots definitely gave me a good laugh at the end of the day.
On Day 2, I began to worry that I would have to wear different variations of the exact same black outfit every single day. I’m not proud to admit this, but later that day, I went to my local CVS to run some errands and couldn’t stop myself from wandering into the makeup aisle. I bought not only one, but two new shades of the same lipstick in lighter colors. I have gone from owning zero lipsticks to owning four lipsticks in just one week. I think I’m slowly becoming a makeup hoarder, and I can’t decide if I’m excited or concerned.
After Day 2, I realized that wearing lipstick was adding a significant amount of time to my morning routine. Between applying the lipstick and finding a cute outfit to match, I added about fifteen extra minutes to my routine each morning. On the bright side, wearing lipstick inspired me to dress up during finals season, a time when I normally wear pajamas 24/7. This was extremely helpful when I felt tired at the end of the day, as it gave me the motivation to stay at the library a little longer to show off how fabulous I felt in my fancy lipstick.
Also, Rimmel London is not playing around when they say 16 Hour Kiss Proof Lip Color. Throughout each day, the color stayed on my lips and didn’t even leave a mark on my coffee cup. One of the reasons I avoided lipstick in the past was due to a fear of transferring lipstick onto anything that touched my lips. So this week, I was happily surprised when every shade I tried managed to stay on my lips and off my teeth, coffee cup, boyfriend, etc.
The nude lipstick left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was great to have the ability to wear any color I wanted while still wearing lipstick. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could achieve the same look by doing my normal routine of simply applying chapstick throughout the day. Essentially, it felt like I was wearing a very fancy chapstick that didn’t require reapplication.
To my fellow lipstick beginners, I suggest carrying a small, “emergency” kit with you throughout the day in case your lipstick smudges or begins to wear off. My emergency lipstick kit included the lipstick in whatever shade I decided to wear that day, a couple of cotton swabs, the lipstick brush, and liquid concealer.
This experiment definitely made me realize that makeup can make a huge difference on self-image. I never viewed my lips as a feature worth paying much attention to because they’re so thin. I secretly envied those around me who had the coveted Kylie Jenner pout. Once I began wearing lipstick, though, I actually felt good about my lips. To anyone out there who feels insecure about their lips or any other body part, try showing off your perceived flaws instead of hiding them. Who knows? Maybe, like me, you’ll start loving ’em!
On Day 4, I kicked it up a knotch by pairing lipstick with a choker. As a generally peppy person, I enjoyed playing around with a bit of an edgier look. Plus, it was a fun (and harmless!) distraction from studying for finals. Taking a small amount of time for self-care definitely helped me cope with stress throughout the week.
Before I knew it, the week came to a close and my lipstick experiment was over. I was shocked at how eye-opening this experiment was for me. I can truthfully say that I am no longer a lipstick hater, and for the first time in my life, I like my lips. In the future, I hope I can continue to prove myself wrong in regards to not being capable of “pulling off” certain looks, because it turns out not only can I wear lipstick, but I can look and feel great while doing it.
All photos courtesy of author.