In seventh grade, I got my very first tube of mascara.
After seeing other girls experimenting with dark eye makeup, I suddenly started feeling behind. My eyelashes, that once seemed perfectly adequate, now seemed far too short and thin when I looked in the mirror. If I was going to survive middle school, I knew I had to keep up. With a little persuasion, my mom agreed to a thick, orange tube of Covergirl Lash Blast in "Blackest Black" and showed me how to apply it to my eyelashes. I felt so grown up and assumed that there was nothing more to it; I was a makeup master.
As the years passed, more beauty products became a part of my "must-have" list. After the mascara, I realized that my skin was too uneven and blemished, so I needed concealer and foundation, like the other girls. Then, when I compared my concealer-covered face to other girls, I told myself I looked washed out, so of course I needed some bronzer and blush. The problems I saw in my appearance seemed never ending, and I thought that makeup was the answer.
Now, at 20 years old, I have settled into a subtle, consistent makeup routine. I never became one of those girls who finds joy in artfully crafting the perfect look every morning (those girls are super-human!) Instead, I dutifully apply the same five products each and every morning. Although this simple routine probably doesn't change my appearance all that much in the eyes of others, I see a whole different person. This routine is so ingrained that I rarely leave the house without completing it.
A little over two weeks ago, I was running late for work. In my frantic rush to make it out the door, I was faced with the choice of showering or spending the time to putting on makeup. After glancing at my massive tangle of hair in the mirror, I knew that not showering was not an option. I spent my day bare-faced and feeling exposed.
Because I clearly do not learn from my mistakes, I slept in again the next morning and skipped the makeup. After just two days, I started to notice something different about my face, I felt clean and free. If I saw these changes after two days, what would happen if I stopped for two whole weeks?
So here I am, two weeks makeup free. This is what I've learned:
1. No one judges me as harshly as I judge myself.
Over the past two weeks, not a single person has treated me differently. While I was so uneasy about exposing my natural self, I realized that no one really cares.This served as a much needed reminder that the world does not revolve around me (who knew?!)
2. It is important to give yourself credit for the little things.
Rather than picking out each and every flaw I see in the mirror, I started to notice the little natural features that I actually like about myself. The defined shape of my lips, the arch of my eyebrows and the natural brightness I saw in my eyes amazed me. While I usually spend so much time slathering myself with makeup, I rarely allow myself to appreciate what I already have going for me. When I finally took some time to do so, it felt like getting to know my face for the first time.
3. Skipping the makeup does wonders for your skin.
After 14 days with no makeup, my skin has never felt better. It is smooth, soft and the ever-present dark circles under my eyes seemed to have disappeared. The wonder of this clean, fresh feeling can not be overstated. Added bonus: being able to rub my eyes without fear of smearing black all over my face was amazingly freeing.
4. I love sleep more than I love makeup.
Those 20 minutes are more precious than you know. My makeup-less mornings were slow and easy, as I treated myself to a few extra snoozes. However, a more productive person might choose to spend this extra time getting a jump on the day. To each their own...
5. I am stuck with this face for life, so I better treat it well.
There is something kind of cool about the fact that I have been given a face that is uniquely my own; why not take care of something so special? This is the face that is in my favorite pictures with family and friends. This is the face that is home to my gappy smile. This is the face with which I will approach every adventure for the rest of my life. If that isn't a face worth treating with love, I don't know what is.
Will I go back to wearing makeup? Probably. The purpose of this experiment was never to abandon makeup permanently, but rather to experience and appreciate the beauty of the skin I was born in. I am whole and completely myself with makeup or without. To close with a nauseating cliche, I have truly learned to love the skin I am in.
