Saying that I'm passionate about makeup is quite the understatement. I get excited about the newest contour or highlighter kit hitting the market, spend way too much time trying new makeup techniques and looks, walk into Sephora with an empty pocket way too many times and roam around the store for 2 hours making a list of all the things I need, take about an hour and a half every morning to make my skin look smooth and flawless, and 30 minutes trying to take all my makeup off at night. Oh, and let's not even talk about the 2 hours I separate at least two times each month for brush cleaning. I throughly enjoy reviewing products to someone who asks me for help on buying new makeup or even just talking to my sister about how pigmented and beautiful the new Modern Renaissance palette I just bought is even though they don't care. But the truth is, just because I wear lots of makeup doesn't mean I'm fake, that I look like a clown, or much less that I'm trying to impress someone.

I, and many other girls, don't wear makeup to impress anyone or get a reaction out of them. We wear makeup because it makes us feel good. Because it's a way of art, of expressing ourselves. You may not be able to draw, paint, or make sculptures but having an even winged liner or a perfectly well blended cut crease is something you should be damn proud of. Have a red pimple on that forehead? just put some green concealer on, set it, apply foundation and that baby is covered up and unseen of. Have dark bags under your eyes? nothing a good concealer and setting powder can't fix. When I'm applying makeup I don't think about that cute guy I saw on the subway the other day. You think I wasted $40 on a highlighter kit for someone who's not going to know the difference or will think its just sweat? No, I bought it for myself and I think about how good and different I'll look once I'm done. I wasn't born to please other people, I was born to please myself.

It doesn't mean that everyone needs to follow a makeup junkie's routine or waste $18 dollars on a dip brow pomade to make their eyebrows look flawless, or that I look awful in my natural skin. There are days where my canvas needs a break to heal and take in mother nature's fresh air. Those days are refreshing and they are not open for you to ask me if I'm okay or if I've been sleeping well. As well as the days when I'm walking around looking like a masterpiece are not ones for you to tell me how I'm wearing too much makeup. The amount of makeup I have or don't have on does not determine who I am as a human being. Everyone is beautiful in their own way and should be free to do what they feel passionate about and what makes them feel good about themselves without being criticized by society. We all express our beauty in different ways and the way women or men decide to do that is no one's business and instead of sending rude comments toward a person we should keep them to ourselves; after all, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. So ladies, keep doing you, buy that $38 highlights so your face pops like champagne (no pun intended), spend as much as you want and can at Sephora, and keep being beautiful inside and out.