I have to be honest here — I don’t really like makeup. Sure, I can admire a cool mermaid highlight and appreciate a good cult beauty brand. In fact, I used to wear makeup almost every single day. But somewhere along the way I got what some might call… lazy. The au naturale, makeup-free life seemed to suit me. So after doing a week-long t-shirt challenge, style editor Zoey challenged me to use only one makeup product for five days. I thought it would be a piece of cake, but boy, was I wrong. Read on to experience my cringe-worthy five-day makeup challenge — and please hold your laughter until the end.
The Product:Tarte Double Duty Beauty Eye & Cheek Palette in Courage ($28)
Day 1: I chose to use a combo of the shades Rosy Outlook and Lucky Penny as a highlighter and blush from the palette. I really had to cake on the product in order for it to show up on my face, but once it showed, I was really happy with the result. I found that it worked better as a highlighter than a blush, which is nice for a generally natural look. Overall, not too bad of a first day.
Day 2: Alright, please don’t laugh at me. Laugh with me. For day two, I went for a risky frosted lip look inspired by Zenon: Girl of the Twenty-First Century — because I am a ’90s girl at heart. In reality, it looked pretty stupid and I took it off before leaving the house. Hey, I said I would be 100% honest. On the bright side, maybe it’ll work for a Halloween look.
Day 3: On day three, I used Rosy Outlook as an eyeliner to add a subtle upgrade to my everyday look. After the unfortunate mess that was day two, I wanted to tone it down a bit (read: a lot). The effect was a little light but understated enough for my tastes. I would try it again.
Day 4: By day four, I realized I probably should’ve chosen one of the darker shades in the palette, but I charged ahead and decided to try using Lucky Penny on my brows. I’ve been in the process of growing them out since seeing Cara Delevingne slay in Paper Towns last summer. I am well aware they are a hot mess. This really wouldn’t have looked too bad in one of the darker shades, but I did like the more filled-in brow look.
Day 5: For day five, I decided I’d had enough innovation and just used the shadow for its intended purpose. Not too exciting, but you could say I was ready to be done.
Overall, it was a fun little experiment that I’d recommend for both girls who love makeup and those who don’t. The worst that can happen is you have a good laugh.
Will you take the challenge? Follow us on Pinterest for more beauty hacks.
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It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.