Women all over the UK are smearing lipstick over their faces.

The latest makeup movement taking over social media is a little less… skilful than what we’re used to seeing.

Forget impeccable ombre lips, fiddly Instagram eyebrows and nail art worthy of a gallery exhibition. Right now, women are Tweeting, Facebooking and Instagramming photos of themselves with lipstick smeared all over their mouths. And on purpose.

The places a lipstick wearer leaves her mark.

Before you say anything – no, it’s not a hip new lipstick technique; and no, it’s not an homage to The Joker…

Actually, the reason for all these smudgy red cheeks is far more important than a fleeting trend: it's a campaign encouraging women to book in for a pap smear.

What your doctor is thinking during a pap smear

The #SmearforSmear campaign (see what they did there?) was started by a leading UK charity and aims to encourage women to share smudgy selfies after they've completed their routine screening to remind their friends to do the same.

As they say, sharing is caring - and in this case, it's potentially life-saving.

Here are some of the great images women have shared so far:

According to Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, one in five women who are eligible to have these tests are forgoing them - despite the fact they save around 5000 women's lives per year by detecting early signs of cervical cancer.

Some of the campaign's biggest advocates are women who owe their lives to cervical cancer screening.

11 things that your doctor wishes you wouldn’t do before a pap test.

"I support the #SmearForSmear campaign because a missed smear could result in your loved ones missing you. A smear test saved my life. Cervical cancer can be beaten with early detection," a woman named Lisa told Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust.

Women aren't the only ones getting a little lipstick-happy - men have been joining the campaign too. So if you've ever secretly fantasised about giving your beau a mini makeover, now is your chance. It's for a good cause.

In Australia, all women who are over the age of 18 and have had sex are advised to have a pap smear every two years. These appointments are brief and mostly painless (maybe a little awkward, at worst), and can be easily arranged through a GP, women's health centre, Aboriginal Medical Service, family planning or sexual health clinic or a women's health nurse. If you want to know more about pap smears, click here or here.

Although the Smear for Smear campaign is UK-based, we hope it spreads to Aussie shores - there's no such thing as too much awareness surrounding women's health.

Have you seen any #SmearforSmear shots in your social media feeds?