As predictable as the seasons changing, every spring you can expect a major markdown, mad dash for brides-to-be, where they push and shove with dresses in hand, simultaneously screaming and stripping down with the hopes of taking home a deeply discounted bridal gown. Seeing this every year on the evening news always made me wonder: who are these people? Then I got engaged and my curiosity shifted to: how would I fare fighting tooth and nail?

Recently, CoverGirl came to Philly in a six-city tour of their Outlast Lipcolor Bridal Challenge. Finally, I was bestowed an opportunity to test my mad matrimony skillz, and against 40 other local brides-to-be, no less. What was up for grabs? A wedding-day makeover—by a CoverGirl artist!—a year's supply of CG Outlast Lipcolor, a wedding cake from Truli Confectionary Arts and a $500 gift certificate from David's Bridal!

First, we applied the basecoat of CoverGirl’s new 16-hour lip color and its topcoat balm. Then the race began with tasks of eating cake, drinking sparkling cider, kissing your (balloon) groom and sealing a thank-you note. First one finished, with lip color in tact, wins.

Needless to say, I returned to the office defeated. (I still contend that my piece of cake was larger than the regulation size.) But coworkers noticed not my sulking, but instead my still-there lip color. “Usually lip colors last up to 16 hours, but this is the first one that doesn’t chip because it has a flexible matrix,” says local makeup artist Nives Riddles. “All you have to do is just reapply the balm.”

So reapply I did, just a few times throughout the rest of my day. Great for long days where you’re supposed to look polished—like weddings or business travel—the color outlasted my lunch, dinner, winter winds and even my bitterness of losing.