Anyone who knows me knows that I love makeup. I can list my favorite products by brand and price. I read several makeup blogs each day and subscribe to even more YouTube channels. I find it fun to read reviews and watch videos on how to create different eye shadow looks. Makeup is an art and it's one of the ways in which I express my creativity.

Just because I love makeup doesn't mean it's some sort of mask. I am comfortable walking around with no makeup, and do it pretty frequently. It's not that I have to wear makeup; I just enjoy putting it on. I feel happy when I wear makeup. It makes me feel more put together and ready for the day. On days that I wear makeup, I feel more alert and ready to take on the day. I'm more motivated and clear-minded. It's like wearing a real outfit, instead of walking around in sweats and slippers; you just feel better about yourself.

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. There's a whole beauty community, on YouTube, Instagram and so many other forms of social media. People love to share the makeup they're wearing that day and their favorite products. Bloggers shoot videos where they talk about their favorite products that month and the new ones they tried. This is one of my favorite aspects of makeup: the community I have found online.

I learned about makeup from these bloggers. My parents joke about where I came from. No one in my family shares my passion for makeup. In fact, my mom jokingly says that she wears makeup for lifecycle events (i.e. weddings, funerals, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.) One of the first eyeshadows I bought was because I watched a video where someone was wearing it. I thought it looked pretty and I wanted to try it. I learned how to apply eyeshadow, and what kind of colors look best on which parts of the eye. I learned how to make sure you're not wearing too much concealer. Little by little, I learned. First, I just wore eye shadow and mascara. Then, I discovered tinted lip balm. Over time, I watched beauty bloggers apply eyeliner and decided to give it a try. A year later, I went to a beauty counter at my local department store and picked out a foundation. It wasn't drastic, and my parents were fine with it. It was age appropriate and it brought me joy.

These days, my beauty knowledge is definitely greater than it was in the early days. I have tried nearly every single brand and can name cheaper duplicates for expensive products off the top of my head. This is one of my favorite parts about beauty. There are so many less expensive options.

Even if I don't end up buying anything, I enjoy going and looking around in cosmetics stores, whether they are low end or high end. I find joy in learning about the different products and never fail to look up reviews on a product I am interested in before I take the plunge and buy it. At the end of the day, makeup brings me joy and I am grateful that I have found one of my passions in life. I hope that I am able to combine this passion with my other passion: accounting. It's my dream to do tax work and pricing for a cosmetics company. Here's to the future, and that perfectly winged eyeliner.