Makeup Challenge of the Week 2021/2022/2023/2024

[sister13]

Week 26 (June 16-22): Perfume perfect! (See below for details)

Thanks for 2+ amazing years and some amazing collabs for the Makeup Challenge! I’ve updated some new themes for May and June. I hope you will join me in sharing your looks, flatlays, or tags for items you use in each challenge! 

Upcoming Weekly Challenge: 

Week 20 (May 5-May 11): Spring Bloom Inspired! This is a repeat but flowers are a favorite makeup inspiration for me. Whether it’s something currently blooming in your yard or your neighborhood, or just a pic of your favorite spring blooms, let us see your looks! X-post and show your spring garden/plant pics on the The BIC Plant and Gardening Thread 

Week 21 (May 12-May 18): Dessert themed looks! Lemon meringue, strawberry shortcake, crème brûlée, tiramisu, chocolate mousse, carrot cake, funfetti cake? Tell us what are your favorite desserts (or the prettiest ones) and create a look! 

Week 22 (May 19-25): Feature Focus - LIPS! Take extra time with lips this week and share your tips, faves, new or old standbys. Try new techniques, like overlining or ombré, or extra prep, or new lip combos with liner, lipstick plus gloss, and let us know what’s working for you! Feel free to x-post with 100 Days of Lipstick Challenge Thanks for the suggestion on feature focus @Titian06 !

Week 23 (May 26-June 1): Technique focus - contour! So many great products out there for contour, let’s take a week to pay extra attention to contour techniques and placement. Try creams, powders, underpainting and share your looks and faves. Feel free to combine with highlight (next week’s focus, or explore contour on its own).

Week 24 (June 2-8): Technique focus - highlight! Getting ready for summer, let’s explore everything from the subtle to the blinding gleam and glitter. What do you use to keep your glow on all day and all year long?

Week 25 (June 9-15): Bronzed beauty! We revisit this every year but for good reason, I love seeing and trying out summery, bronzey looks.

Week 26 (June 16-22): Perfume perfect! I am a sucker for a beautiful bottle of fragrance, celebrate my birthday week with me by using a lovely perfume bottle as inspiration for a fresh summer look! It can be one you own or one you have loved from afar.

Week 27 (June 23-29): Feature focus - lashes! I have so many false lashes but I never have time to use them, so I’m dedicating a week to liner and lashes. Have you tried any of the new self applied eyelash extensions, magnetic lashes, singles or triples vs strip lashes? If you don’t prefer to wear false lashes, or don’t have time, share your favorite mascaras or techniques (primer, lash serums, colored mascaras, etc). What helps you get that dramatic or gentle lash look? 

Spoiler

Completed 2023 Weekly Challenges: 

Spoiler

💗💗❤️❤️💗💗💗 

We celebrated the One Year Anniversary of this thread in November!! Although, somehow the challenge ended up with 61 weeks in a year, I’m not sure how that happened, lol.

Anyway, I figure in year two, we’ll do some repeats and some new challenges. I also plan to add in some bonus hair challenges, maybe once a month.

Okay, for simplicity, I’m going to update the numbering to be Week 1 for the new year, I hope that is not too confusing. I’ll try to get 52 weeks in the year this time! I guess I also need to update the title for 2023.

Week 1 (Jan 1-7): Focus on brows week! Do a bold brow or shimmery brow or just spend more time on your brows this week. Inspired by @SportyGirly125 

Week 2 (Jan 8-14): Rock a red lip week! If this is a regular for you, rock it as normal, or add a fun element, like gloss or add glitter/shimmer to it. Suggested by @JoSometimes 

Week 3 (Jan 15-21): Shop your stash/forgotten favorites! Dig into your stash/archives for something you haven’t used in a long time and renew your love or re-evaluate)

Week 4 (Jan 22-28): Chopping block/declutter week! Are there any items that you have been wondering about getting rid of? Do they still work, bring joy, serve a purpose in your collection? No pressure to get rid of anything, but just want to dedicate a week to evaluate some items on the heels of forgotten favorites week!!

Week 5 (Jan 29-Feb 4): Skin prep/Complexion focus week! Take extra time this week with your skin prep. Exfoliate or use a hydrating mask prior to makeup, use a luminous or mattifying primer, foundation and/or setting spray. And/Or, focus this week on using a skincare device or skincare product if you’ve been neglecting one you own.

Week 6 (Feb 5-11): Get out of your comfort zone week! Suggested by @josometimes. This is a chance to try something new and experiment a little. If you love a red lip, try hot pink or neutral. If you love neutrals, maybe add some color. Or, wear a bolder look out to run errands or on a night out to gain confidence with a different look! Please feel free ask for tips and tricks if you’d like suggestions on techniques, color or product recommendations and share your experience and tips for others as you try something new.

Week 7 (Feb 12-18): Red/Pink/Shimmer/Glitter or whatever you want for Valentine’s/Galentines Day (inspired by @imaster

Week 8 (Feb 19-25): Pantone Color of the Year Viva Magenta week! I miss the past Sephora + Pantone collaborations, so let’s make our own.

Week 9 (Feb 26-Mar 4): Luxe brands or Luxe items. If it feels luxe to you or makes you feel fancy, use it and post it, whether it’s Target or Tom Ford, L’Oréal or La Mer!

Bonus Hair Challenge for February: Hot Rollers or Velcro Rollers and/or other techniques for volume.

Week 10 (March 5-11): Matchy matchy week! Match your makeup to your clothes, or jewelry or hair accessories, a scarf or something you wear! Inspired by @sportygirly

Week 11 (March 12-18): Green week! For St. Patrick’s Day, let’s show off all our green looks or otherwise Irish inspired looks! 💚💚🍀🍀

Week 12 (March 19-25): Use something in a different way (safely) - An opportunity to use your lipstick as blush, your eyeliner or eyebrow pencil on lips, be creative! (Just remember, some items are not tested and may not be safe for eyes or lips)

Week 13 (March 26-April 1): Cherry Blossom Week - while the peak bloom may vary around the world, let's use this week to be inspired by the beauty of the cherry blossoms. Oh, if you happen to live where you get to see the real cherry blossoms, please share those pics, too! 

Week 14 (April 2-8): Spring Looks week! What makes you think of spring? Gloss, pastels, spring runway looks?

Week 15 (April 9-15): Holy Grail week! I think maybe @josometimes or @titian06 suggested this one? Use your Holy Grail products that are tried, tested and loved and be sure to share why it's a fave!

Week 16 & 17 (April 16-29)***: Sephora Spring sale - newness/or anything you haven’t gotten around to wearing/or shop your stash. (Note: I'm not sure when the Spring sale is happening, so I may move this one.) ETA: well, it's timed perfectly for shopping in store, though online purchases may not make it in time! Feel free to keep posting spring sale newness into the following weeks! 
(***I made the executive decision to extend this one more week since orders are still coming in!) 

Week 18 (April 30-May 6): Multichromes week! There have been so many great multi-chrome products and palettes lately, so let's make sure to showcase them!

Week 19 (May 7-13): April Showers bring May Flowers week!  This can be a bright and springy look, or a rain-inspired look (or a combo of both!).

Week 20 (May 14-20): World Makeup! A look or trend from around the world. There are lots of K-beauty trends, like crying girl, popsicle/gradient lips, blush, something like a Parisian chic look, or anything else you can think of! (Suggested by @josometimes)

Week 21 (May 21-27): Barbiecore! I was actually never a fan of dolls or Barbies as a kid, and the flood of Barbie on Instagram recently was kind of annoying to me, but I also have a soft spot for pink and Barbie, so I thought I’d add to the challenge. Can be anything from subtle to all out Barbie.

Week 22 (May 28-June 3): Social Media Inspired! Recreate a look and/or create your own look inspired by an influencer you love, or use makeup to recreate a filter. Post a side by side to share with us.

Week 23 (June 4- 10): Festival! Go all out with Glitter / Color / Braids / Hair Accessories or go easy and fresh!

Week 24 (June 11-17): Earth Week! Highlight more sustainable or green makeup brands. Or even just a play on blue, green, or even earthy tones to celebrate the earth.This is a little out of order but summer is a great time to connect with and celebrate the earth! (Suggested by @josometimes)

Week 25 (June 18-24): Summer Solstice! Create a look based on whatever makes you think of summer, maybe a sunny look, bronzed beauty, or zodiac inspired look.

Week 26 (June 25-July 1): Celebrate Pride! I know pride events vary widely by cities, so if you happen to do a pride look in another week, feel free to post anytime!

Week 27 (July 2-8): 4th of July! Let’s see those red, white and blues., fireworks inspired or just summery BBQ looks.

For your summer slays, there will be some additional cheeky challenges - cheers to @danielledanielle for proposing this fun collab with the weekly challenge! Let's get cheeky, chicas and chicos! We'd love it if you cross post your looks in both threads. 😘😘  Cheek Challenge Summer 2023: Collabs with Makeup Challenge of the Week  

Year 3: 
Week 1-2 (Break)

Jan 14-20: Cherry Cola/Cherry Cocktail Lips + Cheeks. Think ombre lips and burgundy or deep red looks.

Jan 21-27: Hot Toddy Week. Think bright and sultry, go for golds and honey or amber colors.
Jan 28-Feb 3: Espresso Martini\Martini Week.  This is the martini look - green and shimmer, but you could also add a deep lip to it or go for brown or plum version.

Feb 3-10: Maiden's Blush or Cosmopolitan Week This is the one that started it - Maiden's Blush, by RMS beauty.  It's coral, shimmery and warm.

Feb 11-17: Red Wine & Hot Chocolate - If you do partake in alcohol, try this it's delicious.  The look speaks to red and brown, but again, you choose.

Feb 18-24: Pink Blush /Blush Wine - Essentially, this is a pink look, but pinks have all sorts of tones, so have fun playing with this, whether it's all pink or a pop of pink.Week 10 (Feb 24- March 2): Lunar/ Chinese New Year Looks - This is a little late but the 24th was the lantern festival, so I think we can still celebrate this week!

Week 11 (March 3-9): I’m Cold Makeup Trend - This one’s been on the list for a while and I would love to try it out and see your looks!

Week 12 (March 10-16): March Sentimental Items - Any makeup items that spark a memory or have sentimental value for any reason, big or small. Let us know what is special about these items!

Week 13 (March 17-23): Dolly Week! Anything inspired by the America’s darling, Dolly Parton!

Week 14 (March 24-March 30): 5 minute Makeup Face & Faves - Share your go-to quick and easy face and favorite items! Super-collab with Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge  and Sephora Six - Fast & Furious Edition 

Week 15 (March 31-April 6): Cartoon influence (i.e. Jem/she-ra/bratz/anime/etc) - I know I’m dating myself with Jem and She-ra but I thought it’d be fun to recreate a look from any cartoon!

Week 16 (April 7-12): Pastels!! (I’ll update the next few weeks soon but have been wanting to explore some pastels for Spring.)

Week 17&18 (April 13-27): Sale Haul Newness + Shop Your Stash! Don’t let your new items gather dust, try them out and post your thoughts! If you’re on a low/no buy, please shop your stash and share what you love about the items you chose! 

———

So, I could definitely (still) use some makeup inspiration these days and maybe you could too! Several years ago, we used to have some weekly makeup challenge threads, so I’m bringing one back. It’s a great way to spark some creativity and maybe most importantly, a great way to shop your stash!

I started with a list of some challenges below, but also happy to edit/rearrange/consider other ideas along the way. I hope you will join me!  Feel free to post as many or as few times you’d like each week with photos of your looks. If you don’t like to post your face, feel free to do a flatlay of the products you used to do your look. Also, if you get behind or ahead, feel free to post pics whenever you have time.

Can’t wait to see all your looks! Have fun! Please feel free to suggest some other challenge ideas in the thread and we’ll add to the coming weeks!! 

💕💗💕💗💕

[sister13]

Aww thanks! @Girly2Shoes 

[Titian06]

Very creative, @sister13 ! 🫐  I like how it looks.  It's not too much because you kept the rest of your makeup simple and neutral.

[sister13]

Thanks! Yes I wasn’t sure what was going to work with this, it’s pretty vibrant for a pastel! @Titian06 

[itsfi]

Late posting for Week 20 (May 5-May 11): Spring Bloom Inspired! 

Urban Decay Face Bond Self Setting Waterproof Foundation is a new love 😍 and I could not have been more surprised by how well it peforms or how much I would enjoy it. Long-wearing, it actually does self set. I haven't tested the waterproof part (yet) but will try at some point to do so.

MERIT Flush Balm Cream Blush Cheeky - a pretty flush of pink on my cheeks; could double for my lip product but I decided to go with:

Typology. Lip Oil in Powder Pink

Besame Ella Fitzgerald Quad - I primarily used the first (Swingin' Mauve) and second (Nightclub Pearl) shades in the swatch below to get a more muted purple color. 

Makeup by Mario nude pencil liner has been discontinued, but it's my go-to for the lower waterline and opens up my eyes. 

SEPHORA COLLECTION Love The Lift Curling + Volumizing Waterproof Mascara Ultra Black 

Shiseido Eyelash Curler Eyelash Curler 

I was inspired by these flowers that I often go past on morning walks in the neighborhood. Love the soft purple and pink to these petals. If anyone knows the name of these flowers, please do share! I'd love to know. 

Such a great theme @sister13! Everyone had beautiful inspirations and looks!

[lmaster]

So beautiful @itsfi 

[itsfi]

@lmaster, thank you. It made for a lovely, quick and easy look to pull together.

[jaaayp]

Oooh oooh oooooh awesome picks @itsfi I can see the inspiration! I would love to know your thoughts on the Urban Decay Face Bond Self Setting Waterproof Foundation and whether you like the coverage it provides!

[itsfi]

Thank you @jaaayp! The UD has become a new favorite - it really does self set and it stays in place. I was skeptical about it being longwearing but it is! 👍 My skin leans normal-to-dry at the moment; on days when it has had some dry spots, I'll make sure to moisturize that area before applying the foundation and spritz a hydrating mist after. 

[jaaayp]

NOOOOOIICE @itsfi I need application pics 😂😂😂 I'm always a little skeptical when it's "self setting" because I swear, I'm not slow and don't take too long doing my base, it always kinda starts lifting when I apply other creams on top my contour/bronzer/blush and end up being patchy... no patchy? 🤔

[itsfi]

@jaaayp, I've been really impressed by it; it staaaaayyys! I haven't had any issues with lifting or patchiness, but I've not tried it with a lot of different cheek products. I'll try to remember to take some pics but taking photos focused on the cheek area is still a work in progress, even when I remember to do it. Lips I have a better handle on; everything else though is gonna take some time. 

[jaaayp]

Oooh, do you not wear bronzer or blush with your foundation @itsfi ? 🤔 or just not Cream? I'm glad it's working out for you! I'm looking for a new foundation to try and was thinking between the UD or Dior Forever Matte (yes, cheating on our Armani)... 

[itsfi]

@jaaayp with bronzer, I sometimes mix it in with my foundation and then go over the areas of my face where I'd normally apply bronzer or I've also been underpainting with the Armani bronzing drops. With blush, I use my fingers for creams and liquids, and a very light hand to blend out so it doesn't really lift the foundation. The Dior matte has a huge following; I've typically used the Dior Glow because of my skin type, but we shall see how oily it gets this summer. 

[jaaayp]

You got the methods DOWN @itsfi !!! Speaking of bronzing drops... I was so tempted to pick up the MAKEUP BY MARIO Softsculpt® Multi-Use Bronzing & Shaping Serum 🫠🫠🫠

Do you have a Dior shade, twinsy?! I'm thinking I'm probably 1W but I haven't gone down to the store for a shade match.. I'm debating if I wanna just order online.... (yes. I am so lazy)

[itsfi]

I thought about picking up the Makeup by Mario too @jaaayp, but I talked myself out of it ... for now, that is. 🤣 The formula is really nice! In the glow version, I'm either 1.5N or 2N depending on the time of year. I tried the matte version once, but it was before the products were reformulated and I know that I was a different shade in the matte then - I want to say I can do the 1W in the winter in the matte version.

[jaaayp]

GOOD JOB! I thought about it too @itsfi 😂 I literally added it to my cart and moved it like 3 times during the weekend. I was like lemme go check my stash and saw at least 3 contours and 3 bronzer that I needed to go through first. SHOPPING MY OWN STASH. I talked myself off of the ledge.

I think that makes sense... I heard the matte version does oxidize. Ugh. I may just make the trip to get samples.. sigh. Will report back, maybe I'll pick up a sample of the UD sample too 😂

[itsfi]

Yes, yes, report back @jaaayp! There's not many stores that have the Dior Backstage F&B foundations in stock but I am interested in checking out the new formula ... one day. lol I set aside several foundations and well, that was a sobering experience. I have a lot of shopping my stash to do. 😆 A lot! I'll be looking to include as many of those foundations as I can in the Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge.  

The brozing serums go on beautifully - lightweight, serumy but the color payoff is there. The closest store to me doesn't seem to have all the shades? But I was able to play with them and they are wonderful. 👍 If they had launch when MbM had their sale, I would have definitely picked one up then. In the UD, I looked into 10 and 12 for my warmer weather shade. It does oxidize ever so slightly.

[jaaayp]

Good tips @itsfi ! I will definitely be checking them out. I mean I would need to include some bronzer as part of my pan it challenge before I pick up a new one tho tbh... Am I hearing that you'll be including a foundation in your pan it challenge?!?!??! 🤔 😂

[itsfi]

lol @jaaayp! I've always thought of putting a foundation in a pan it! challenge, especially whenever I see our phenomenal @blackkitty2014 shares her amazing progress with her luxe foundations throughout the year on the Pan It! - 2024 Challenge thread. We shall see. I think it was @missjeanie who mentioned that she likes to keep her pan items to 10 and I'm of the same mindset - I may have more than 10 goals but I've found 10 products is a good number for me. Usually, I've replaced a product with one from the same or similar category, but I'm open to deviating from that approach. I'll noodles on it more. 

[blackkitty2014]

Of course foundation and based products can qualify for Pan It challenge @itsfi @jaaayp because they take forever to finish. I’m done with the WA end of April. The tiny bottle took me 4 and the half months to finish. I finish the Sisley skin tint around end of May. The Sisley took me almost a year. 

[jaaayp]

That logic totally makes sense @itsfi I think I definitely need to include foundation because idk how but all my foundations are open and half way through and basically tumbles in the drawer that way.... 🫠

[itsfi]

@jaaayp, the hard part is picking which foundation to include in the pan it! challenge.  There are base products I know I will use up without them being in a project pan so I won’t include any of those. Right now, I’d say it’s between a skin tint or a cushion compact, for me. With a slight lean towards the skin tint.