30 Days of Lipstick

I’ve always loved the way lipstick looks, but I’ve also been the kind of girl who just straight up forgets to wear it. My usual beauty routine isn’t complete without filled brows and lots of mascara, but my lips are bare more often than not.

So when one of my friends suggested I try a 30 days of lipstick challenge, I said “why not?”. The challenge is to wear a different shade of lipstick every day for 30 days. I figured this would not only help me declutter, but maybe it would remind me to wear lipstick more often.

Each day of December, I shared a different shade of lipstick on Instagram stories. Below I’m sharing what I learned from 30 days of lipstick, from my personal habits to my favorite shades and everything in between.

Xx, Kelsey

30 DAYS OF LIPSTICK

HOW IT WORKS

• Wear a different shade of lipstick every day without repeating. *Disclaimer: I did repeat one color, but that’s only because there were 31 days in December.
• Wear the lipstick for as much of the day as possible.
• Document.

WHAT I LEARNED

I have a lot of red lipsticks – Part of this challenge was to help me go through the lipsticks that I have and determine if there are any I can get rid of. I think in the end I must have had about 10 different shades of red.

Moisturizing is key – I tend to stick to lipsticks that are more moisturizing. After wearing lipstick every day for 30 days, I really learned the importance of finding shades that aren’t drying. Also, Aquaphor every night is essential. I forgot to bring some on our trip to Switzerland, and I thought my lips might crack and fall off by the end of the trip.

Lipstick can change your entire look – I already knew this, but wearing lipstick every day for a month really changed how I approached my outfits. Especially at the end of the challenge. My last weekend, I was down to one red shade and one dark purple. I just couldn’t bring myself to put in the effort that the dark lip required on a lazy Saturday, so I ended up going with the red.

Planning makes a huge difference – In the beginning, I just wore whatever shade I fancied on that day. But about halfway through I realized I needed to be more strategic. I started thinking ahead and saving certain colors. For example, I had a really rich, dark red that I set aside for Christmas Eve.

You CAN wear lipstick with leggings without looking crazy – I was a little nervous about wearing lipstick on travel days or the weekend when I didn’t want to put in a lot of effort to my look. I ended up learning that lipstick is totally doable with a lazy outfit. Just stick to more neutral colors.

I will definitely be wearing more lipstick in the future. In fact, the other day was my first day without lipstick since the challenge, and I felt like something was missing. I’m really excited to revisit some of my favorite shades now that the 30 days of lipstick is complete.

ABOUT THE LIPSTICKS

Best overall – Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick – My mom gave me a little sample pack of these to help me reach my 30 for the challenge. I ended up falling in love with them. The colors are super vibrant and stay all day without drying your lips out. I’m so excited to wear these again.

Runner up – Victoria’s Secret Velvet Matte – These didn’t have the staying power that Stila did, but I really like the colors. Especially, Love. I’ll be wearing these again this month.

Most drying – Kylie Matte Lip Kit – I used this one in Posie K. While I loved the color, and there’s no doubt this color does NOT budge, I ended up with such dry lips.

My old go-to – MAC Cosmetics – I shared this post last year about how I never pay for lipstick from MAC. I’ve amassed quite the collection. While I really fell in love with Stila, I won’t be quitting my MAC habit anytime soon.

The best shades – Victoria’s Secret in Love, Stila in Patina, Charlotte Tilbury in Walk of Shame, MAC Cosmetics in Creme in Your Coffee, Stila in Rubino, Kiko Cosmetics in 126, MAC Cosmetics in Russian Red (my go-to red for years), MAC Cosmetics in So Chaud

The worst shades – Covergirl in 545 (actually a really nice brown, but it doesn’t go with my skin tone), Revlon ColorStay in Eternal Rose (actually a pretty color, but too sticky), TonyMoly tint in #2 Red, Stila in Fia, Stila in Baci