We’ve all heard of the ‘no makeup challenge.’ It’s all about going for a period of time without any makeup at all. It’s a great way to give your skin a little break from all of the gunk and to help yourself feel more confident in your bare skin. While that’s all well and good, today we are talking about a different kind of makeup challenge—the exact opposite, actually.
With busy weekday mornings, it’s hard sometimes to remember the fun in makeup. It becomes just another step in your morning routine, like brushing your teeth or snoozing your alarm for the seventeenth time. This challenge is all about stepping out of your comfort zone and discovering the fun and creativity in playing with makeup.
So, here are the rules:
- Every day for a week, go all out with your makeup.
- Each day, try a different technique or makeup trend.
- Have fun.
Here are some suggestions for trends and techniques to try.
Insta Brows
Posted by @napturalelenore on Instagram
Go big, go bold and go to Instagram for tons of inspiration because, in case you haven’t noticed, brows are a big thing on Instagram.
Contouring
Posted by @selda.asan on Instagram
Contouring is the technique of accentuating the high points of your face with lighter colors and intensifying the shadows of your face with darker colors. There are loads of tutorials that go over this in detail, but basically, that’s the gist.
Blinding Highlight
Posted by @bethbenderbeauty on Instagram
Stop traffic with supernatural cheekbones. If anyone comes up to you and says, “Sorry if this is weird, but could you tell me what highlighter you use?” you know you’ve done your job well.
Bold Lip
Posted by @mua_ashley_ on Instagram
All you need is a bit of confidence and a good friend who can reassure you that you don’t have any red streaks smeared all over your teeth to rock a bold lip.
Winged Liner
Posted by @swayzemorgan on Instagram
Everyone has a unique eye shape, and it’s just a matter of playing around to discover a wing angle that you like best on your face. VALLEY recommends a felt-tip pen to make wing-drawing a little easier. Remember: deep breaths, it’s only makeup.
Next-Level Shadow
Posted by @hillary_pennell on Instagram
You can’t go wrong whether you go for a smoldering smoky look, a halo eye, or even an intense cut crease. Just try something a little bit extra on your eyes—they are the windows to the soul, after all.
Decade Throwback
Posted by @prettywithlee on Instagram
You can emulate the natural sunkissed look of the ’70s, the bold colors of the ’80s or the angsty grunge of the ’90s. Just do a little Pinterest’ing to find a decade that speaks to you.
Even if you don’t become a makeup expert throughout the course of this challenge, you might find a few little tricks that sneak their way into your everyday routine. Try any and all of these looks or get creative and come up with your own. Whatever you decide to try, just own it and you’re sure to look fabulous. Show us your results on Instagram by tagging us @VALLEYmag.
