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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Courtney Pochin

Worrying lipstick challenge sees people trying to 'prove how skinny they are'

Thanks to famous faces like Lizzo and Jameela Jamil, we are currently living in a time where body positivity is having a big impact.

We've been embracing and encouraging people to love the skin they're in, no matter their shape or size.

But sadly there are still some who think the ideal body is a skinny body - as is highlighted by a worrying new social media trend known as the lipstick challenge.

The challenge, which was started by singer and actress Chen Shu, sees women attempting to balance a lipstick on their collarbone - something Shu refers to as a "skill".

However many may view it as a form of body shaming, as the slimmer you are, the more prominent your collarbone is likely to be and thus the more likely you are to be able to complete the challenge.

Chen Shu started the challenge (Weibo)

Chen Shu, 42, shared a video of herself completing the challenge on Chinese website Weibo, saying: "New skill unlocked! Come and try this challenge with me."

The video has gone viral, garnering nearly 200 million views in just 24 hours, with many people commenting to say they needed to have a "skinny" body just like hers.

One person replied: "Why are you so skinny?! You are incredible."

Another wrote: "I have lipstick, but I need to borrow your collarbone."

This concerning new trend follows a disturbing challenge from 2015 which saw women balancing coins on their collarbone.

Around the same time the challenge launched in 2015, a third of British women were found to want a visible or prominent collarbone, when asked as part of a survey on desirable body features.

This research was commissioned by VoucherCodesPro and a spokesperson said at the time: "I have to admit it’s a bit worrying to see the influence that social media sites and celebrity culture is having on women and their perception of ‘the perfect body’.

"Whilst implementing a healthy and active lifestyle is positive, I would urge Brits to be careful that they don’t take it a step too far. 

"We’ve seen how quickly certain trends, like the thigh gap and the controversial Kyle Jenner lip challenge can escalate, with many young people jumping on the bandwagon to stay up to date with the latest trends.

"Many of these include fitness trends that aren’t necessarily the best for your body."

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