Whether you’re someone who’s always rocking a red lip or never strays from their nude eyeshadow, we all have that signature makeup look. And while I’m sure that you’re happy with blending the same two shades from your 14 shade pallet, it can become really easy to get stuck in a rut.

That’s why I challenged the WH staff to step out their makeup comfort zone and embrace products and colours very few of them wore.  Stepping out of your comfort zone — makeup or otherwise — can help you become more creative as you have to adjust to something you’ve never tried before. And once you try something scary and new, it becomes a whole lot easier to do it again — and who knows, you might end up liking it.

Lesson #1: Don’t knock it until you try it

Think you can’t rock a blue eyeshadow or a graphic liner? Well, you won’t know unless you try — and you might actually end up lovin’ it!

@CallySiberbauer
Products: Almay Velvet Foil Cream Shadow in 120 Infinite Sky and Catrice lip gloss in pink topaz

“For our recent make-up challenge, we were gifted items that we’d usually steer clear of. When Chandré started walking towards me with a blue eyeshadow I immediately had my doubts. I hardly ever wear eyeshadow and on the odd occasion that I do, it will be a smokey eye or something very subtle. I received the Almay velvet foil cream shadow in a light blue. My response? Eeek. That was not all, along with this blue shadow I also received a Catrice lip gloss in pink topaz. Super glossy lips are also a vague memory of my childhood. I usually go for a nude lip and something matt. With both options fully embraced, I accepted the challenge…

Plot twist, I love them both. The lip gloss lives in my handbag now and I’ve done blue eyeshadow for at least three events. And I’m not the only one that loves the colour — I’ve had many a compliment about the new look. Safe to say, it’s here to stay. Don’t knock it until you try it!”

READ MORE: Reduce The Appearance Of Fine Lines With These 9 Skin Plumping Products

Lesson #2: Do it your way

My makeup philosophy is that you have to do things your way. Sometimes what you see on the runways or Instagram won’t be for you but you can take a product and make it work for you. As Susan found, it just takes some trial and error for you to find your way.

@Susanjbarret

Products: Almay Velvet Foil Cream Shadow in 030 Golden Vibes
“I’m the plainest Jane on the planet, so this shimmery shadow was a very bold beauty move. I know, I know, it’s not electric blue or bedazzling emerald green, but it’s also not my usual matte beige. The first time I tried it — a breakfast date with BF — I went a wee bit OTT with the application, and paired it with lip gloss. Not cute. So I’ll be sticking to bare-faced breakfasts. But… with a few tips from my learned colleagues (go gentle on the shimmer, keep it low on the lid, stop it washing you out with a brown liner, and choose eye or lip, not both) and boom: I think I’ve managed a pretty decent work look”.
Catrice Cosmetics Generation Plump & Shine Lip Gloss in 100 Glowing Tourmaline
“Gloss is great as a daytime alternative to heavier lipsticks, so while I’m not a habitual lip-glosser, I am comfortable with it — and love that you can add a bit of shine without feeling like you’re stopping traffic. Because honestly, as I age, I’m finding that the trick to looking good is not to fill in all the cracks with base and slap on bright shadows and lippies to draw attention away from your wattle… Rather, it’s to subtly soften the “bad” bits and gently accentuate the good ones, exactly like this optically-plumping gloss does”.
READ MORE: “I Swapped My Regular Skincare Routine For A More Natural One — And The Results Were Surprising”

Lesson #3: It doesn’t have to be drastic

Taking a risk with makeup doesn’t have to be a major change, it can be as simple as trying a shade that is slightly different from what you’re normally used to.

@wanita.nicol
Catrice Essence ultra last instant colour in 11; Almay Velvet Foil Cream Shadow in Ruby Glam
“My everyday make-up routine usually consists of sunscreen and a swish of mascara. On special occasions, I’ll do a neutral or smoky eye palette and a nude lip — occasionally red if it’s a very swanky event. I never wear shades of pink on my lips or eyes, so when our beauty assistant Chandré handed me these I was more than a little nervous. These products were too bold just to pair with my usual bland look so I spruced it up a bit with eyeliner, more dramatic mascara, foundation and blush — a pinky-apricot to go with the rest. I felt very self-conscious at first, but as the day wore on, I got so many compliments that I actually started to feel quite good about myself. I liked the overall effect of how my eyes looked — I’ll definitely use this eyeshadow more often and try to get the hang of blending it better. I’m still not an all-day lipstick kinda girl, but I’ll add the lipstick to my special occasion bag as an alternative to my regular go-to shades”.
READ MORE: 5 Best Lip Balms For When Your Lips Are Seriously Chapped

Lesson #4: It might not like it — and that’s okay

One of the many reasons that I love makeup is that it allows you to experiment. Meaning you can try something, not like it and then just wipe it off (unless its something a bit more permanent like microblading…) This gives you numerous opportunities to try a colour, style or product and see if you like it or not. And if it’s the latter — that’s totally okay!
 

@ondela_m
Products: Almay Violet Cream Shadow and Catrice Cosmetics Generation Matt Danger Lips
“I’m not someone who’s big on make-up that isn’t natural-looking or nude, so you can imagine how distressed I was when I got the Violet Foil Cream Shadow to test. I wasn’t too confident about it, because I felt as though it was too O.T.T (over the top). I was surprised to hear from one or two colleagues that it looked quite nice with my complexion. Will I try it again? Probably not, but I’m happy I gave it a bash.
I also tried the Catrice Cosmetics Generation Matt Danger Lips, and I loved it! I’m not normally someone who goes for the matt look because it feels strange on my lips, but happy I’ve given this lippie a chance and I’ll be using it more often.”
READ MORE: Cult Activewear Label P.E Nation Lands A Collab At H&M — And It’s Here In SA!

Lesson #5: Just do it!

Honestly, you have nothing to lose by just trying something new. So just do it!

@Piahammond
Products: Almy Velvet Foil Cream Shadow in Out of the Woods and Catrice Generation Plump & Shine Lip Gloss, Nude Sapphire

“Being strictly an eyeliner girl, I was wary of the eyeshadow, not knowing how to apply or even where to apply it on the eye. The overall result was subtle and got a few compliments too.

Not a big fan of gloss, within a minute of applying it, BAM, hair attached to my lips. The colour is pretty though.”