I think there's a huge misconception that girls who like to wear makeup are either vain or insecure. I know this because I remember when I used to think like that. However, recently I've gotten a little more into makeup than I probably should be, but I've realized that I don't put makeup on so that I can enjoy my appearance afterward, to get other people to think I'm attractive, or to hide my natural beauty. It's the process I enjoy far more than the finished product.

I understand why people often think that makeup can be linked to low self-esteem. In fact, according to The Renfrew Center Foundation's survey, “almost half of women have negative feelings when they don’t wear makeup.” There probably is some link correlation between a positive or negative body image and makeup, but that doesn't mean that every woman has the same reasons for wearing it.

Recently, I discovered that doing my makeup is my most peaceful time of the day.

I usually feel the most stressed when I first wake up in the morning, so having a time blocked out every morning where I can just relax is super beneficial to my mental health. The best way to clear my mind is to do my skincare routine and then my makeup. My days are always so scheduled up, so making time for "me time" has always been a challenge, so this is a great alternative for girls like me who don't have time to go to yoga class or have frequent Netflix marathons.

I don't think I need makeup.

There are days where I decide sleep is more important than my meditation session, so I have no problem going bare-faced. I like the way I look without makeup. I think that setting time aside to do my makeup in the morning is one of the easiest ways to harness my creativity because there's relatively little mess involved and it doesn't take too long. Sometimes if I don't have plans I'll do a really intense makeup look and then just wipe it all off when I'm done. There are very few things that allow me to relax and calm down, and for some odd reason, my makeup routine is one of them.

So, no, I don't care about what you think of my face.

I'm confident in my appearance regardless of what others think. I don't feel any worse about myself if I'm not wearing any makeup. I don't think that I need to wear it, but I choose to because I enjoy the artistic process of putting it on. I don't need makeup to make me feel pretty, but I do need a fairly accessible, easy cleanup creative outlet to help moderate my stress levels.