I Wore Red Lipstick For a Week and This is What Happened…

I don’t know about you, but during the last few months I haven’t been wearing as much makeup working from home. At first I did, in fact I was so adamant about encouraging others to prioritize themselves and a HUGE advocate for self-care during a time that feels much like the twilight zone.

But then my fur baby got sick. If you have participated in any of my campaigns, came over for a makeup lesson or even watched ANY of my live videos, you knew Max. He was always by my side. I couldn’t leave his sight. He was part of the family and grew up right alongside my boys. As he aged, he depended more on me. And I leaned on him just as much. He helped me through all of the tragedies that I’ve endured over the last few years.

When we had to make the difficult decision to end his pain, I was beyond devastated. Of all times, this was probably the worst time to lose him. I’m not going to lie, I was struggling. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I felt myself spiraling into a depression and I couldn’t go anywhere due to the stay at home order. I started doing what I have done my entire life, I buried myself in work to keep my mind off of things. But I was grieving so deeply…

I didn’t plan to wear red lipstick for a week. This was not some experiment I thought I’d try because I was bored. And to be honest, 5 years ago I NEVER even wore red lipstick. I stayed away from anything bold so I could blend in. I would never want to do something that would draw attention to myself, ok, yes I have come a long way…but those that have known me for a long time know how shy and introverted I really am.

I was asked if I would help by testing and creating content with a new launch for the THALIA x Motives Red Velvet Liquid Lipstick. And truthfully it was probably the best thing that could’ve happened at the time. It gave me a reason to do my makeup, and here’s what happened!

“On a bad day, there is always lipstick.”

-Audrey Hepburn

Day 1

I needed a push to get out of the funk and thankfully I had scheduled trainings before all of this happened. Everything was moved to a virtual platform and one of them was an application workshop. Perfect, I had to do my makeup live for the attendees. After the long day of teaching I tried the new Velvet Red Lipstick for the first time. After taking this picture, I put my hair in a ponytail and went for a walk with my husband. As we walked, I just felt better. So different from the day prior, that’s for sure!

Day 2

On day 2 I even decided to curl up my hair more and put on some of my new Layered Jewelry. You should’ve seen my husband’s face when he got home from work. Not that he’s not used to it, but I think he was happy to see me smiling a little more than I had been. The first day I kept my eyes neutral but this day I went a bit smokey! I felt so glamorous!!

Day 3

I’m not sure if you can tell by looking at the other pictures, but on day 3, I put on MORE red lipstick. I mean I layered it on to be more bold. And even though it was still cold enough to wear a sweater (typical Wisconsin spring) I was feeling pretty good. I also looked AMAZING on all of my Zoom meetings 😉

Day 4

Grey eyebrows and all, I am smiling! I think the strip lashes also help, but I am definitely falling in LOVE with this red lip. I am also convinced that this shade will look great on everyone. Any age, and skin color, hair color. And the staying power is definitely something to take note of!!

Day 5

Maybe it’s the glow on day 5, but I am feeling flawless. I have definitely noticed that when I wear a red lip, I am dressing up too. It’s not just makeup and red lips, it’s making me prioritize myself and even though I can’t go anywhere, I feel great! And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Day 6

My smile is bigger today and I’m feeling more like myself every day! I also tried a different red today!! This one is more of a warm red. That’s the great thing about red, there’s SO many different shades. Cool, warm, and so many variations of each!

“There is a shade of red for every woman.” -Audrey Hepburn

Day 7

Has it been a week already? It’s gone by so fast!

Today I chose a red shirt that was a cooler red just like my lips. I have read that many people think you have to wear neutral colors with red, but I mixed a lot of colors with this look. You can break the rules…

The Verdict

I can honestly say that wearing red lipstick for a week helped me pull myself back up again! It gave me a reason to take the time to prioritize myself. It made me feel confident. It made me feel put together, and trendy. It made me feel sexy…

It also made me feel more comfortable wearing it. It feels normal now, whatever that means, lol! It also made me experiment with my overall makeup look.

I won’t be wearing red EVERYDAY. That would get boring! However, I will definitely wear it more.

The Challenge

Guess what? It’s YOUR turn! I challenge YOU to wear red lipstick for a week! Just try it. What do you have to lose? It just may end up being a great experiment for you too! If you take me up on my challenge, use the hashtags #redlipchallenge & #beautybyleigh so I can see them, oh and comment below so we can all cheer you on! Be sure to keep in touch with me to share your results at the end of the week. You’ve got this!

A fierce red lipstick is one of the quickest ways to make a bold fashion statement.