I wore red lipstick every day for one week

As the quote goes, “Red lipstick is the beauty equivalent of a shot of espresso” and this is what I discovered to be true during the past week. It’s that little push to speak a little louder and strut a little prouder.

I want to start off and say that before this challenge, I basically never wore red lipstick. So, for my first day, I felt the need to dress up a bit with a sparkly gold  top to match my bright red lip. I felt a little hesitant at first wearing it around, especially during the daytime, but I did not receive any weird looks so I walked on and wore it proud.

For the next day, I would honestly forget that I had it on a lot of the time. Suddenly, I would just look in a mirror and be like “Whoa, I look fabulous!” Then that would give me an extra confidence boost for awhile.

By this point, I did not feel at all scared about wearing the lipstick. Instead, I let my inside match the exterior and power walked through New York City to my internship. It honestly made me feel more mature and like I had my life together because it reminded me of being a kid and seeing women wear bold red lips.

Suddenly it hit me: I can be that woman now.

On day four, I looked at my makeup shelf and realized I was desperately missing my wide collection of nude lip colors that I typically wear. I was also feeling a bit groggy and tired that day. However, once I put my red lipstick on, I felt somehow revitalized just like you would be from that extra shot of espresso.

By the last day, I felt confident wearing red lipstick casually and they always say that women who can do that are the most dangerous kind of people. I never thought I could be one of them, but this past week made me realize that all you need to do is adjust your state of mind and beauty choices can help you do that.

After this week, I discovered my love for this typically intimidating lip shade. As a bold fashionista who frequently wears clothes and accessories that make me stand out, I did not notice any additional stares or changes in how people treated me from the usual.

But what being brazen in my fashion and beauty choices has really taught me is how what you wear has such a strong power to shake up your entire attitude. It has taught me not to care what others think as long as you feel good and if you let your happiness shine through, it is rare that someone will stand in the way of that. Putting on my favorite dress (or now, red lipstick shade) makes me feel confident because I feel like my best self. Similar to a blushing beautiful bride on her wedding day, knowing that you look the part can make you feel stronger and boost a powerful attitude which already exists inside of you.