The Journey of a Girl Who Hates Lipstick

Long before I became a regular at the office, I was known as the girl who periodically puts lipstick on. I was eyed secretly by co-workers for my 5:55 lipstick touch-up before I headed out…for home. Anyone who knows me, knows my insane love affair with lipsticks.

So, one fine morning, it was one of those picture taking days for our fancy-shmancy company portfolio and all the women were bringing out their A-game with glowy skin products and blow-dries. But after my colleague, Minahil, got done with her picture, I saw her fervently removing her lipstick like it was poison. I had to ask the reason for this erratic, alien behavior. And lo and behold, these cursed words came out of her bare lips:

I just could not relate to these words. Surprisingly, the same night upon seeing a video on holy Buzzfeed, Minahil was tagged in a challenge. And VOILA! She accepted: To wear lipstick for a week. An official color schedule was also posted on her Facebook timeline. Everyone who knew Minahil as the bare faced dame, couldn’t wait to see her in misery.

It all started with Red. Minahil tried to wiggle out of it saying she doesn’t own a red one (who is she, seriously?!). Lucky for her, the floor is full of lipstick-frenzied women who carry ammunition with them at all times.

The Red Brigade

And there she was, her lips painted red and her life ruined.

Minahil’s Red Lipstick

On a neutral day, her weak arguments about bare lips being neutral were rejected. Nimra was more than happy to lend her a neutral lipstick (someone take this girl lipstick shopping!). The rest of the day was spent with Minahil cribbing about how goopy her face felt.

Minahil demonstrating the goop

Miraculously, two days later as we went to the market in the lunch break, it was only natural for us to step this up a notch and drag her to a makeup store. By this time, Minahil’s perpetual lipstick face looked something like this:

Lipstick Face

Needless to say, she was forced to try all sorts of colors, glosses, lipsticks and tints. My dreams were also coming true; she was my own lab rat for lipsticks.

I doubt her perception about this makeup product changed at all; especially when this was her resting goop face. But we managed to derive a valuable lesson out of this office experiment: lipstick or no lipstick, you always slay when you feel like yourself the most. Till the next fashion edit, Au Revoir!

To be fair, we are a fabulous bunch!