Young girls often go through their mother’s makeup bag, searching for the perfect concoction to make themselves look like supermodels. I was one of those young girls many years ago. But, now that I am at the age where makeup is a social norm, I find myself pulling away from it more and more.

Don’t get me wrong: I have spent so much time perfecting the eyeliner wing. I am a VIB at Sephora and I never fail to open an email from either Sephora or Ulta--that’s where the best savings are! I still wear makeup on certain occasions, such as weekends out with friends or family, Sunday evenings for church, and important events. However, I found that makeup did not have a place anymore in my everyday life.

Makeup is wonderful, and so is everybody who wears it. Whether someone’s decision is to wear it every day or not, they are still unique and special. Everybody finds beauty in a way unique to them.

I didn’t have a life-altering discovery about makeup that caused me not to reach for it that much anymore--I just naturally drifted apart from it. These are a few reasons why I backed off from the lipstick, and why I am so happy that I did.

I learned not to rely on other things to make me seem attractive to others.

We’ve all heard, "It’s what’s on the inside that matters," and boy is that true! A makeup-less life allows what is on the inside to truly shine through. I learned a lot about myself when I didn’t care about my eyeshadow creasing or blush fading. I feel better when I don’t wear makeup, and that quickly showed my true colors.

I can sleep in a little later, which is always a blessing.

Funny story! I overslept the first night away at school, and when I woke up I had hardly any time to get ready before having to head to orientation activities. Because of that, I skipped putting on makeup and barely made myself look presentable. Without even realizing it, I spent the entire orientation week wearing no makeup. The first weekend away at college is important for getting to know your classmates and making friends.

At first, socializing while not looking like my “best” was scary, but realizing that people were becoming friends with me regardless of whether or not I was wearing makeup reassured me that I didn’t need it.

Less stress = happy day.

I cannot even begin to count how many times I was running late to something because my eyeliner was awful and I kept redoing it. By ditching it, my everyday life was slightly less stressful.

I learned to appreciate the days I chose to wear makeup more.

Wearing makeup means it’s a special day for me. By designating something for only certain days, I look forward to those days more.

I can use it to turn my day around.

If I am having a bad day, slapping some highlighter on really makes me feel better. Just when I think I’ve dulled out, the pop of light comes shining through.

Most of the time, I sweat it off anyways.

As a dancer and as someone living in a dorm without air conditioning, I sweat a lot. Whenever I wear makeup on a warm day, you can bet it is dripping off my face in under half an hour of being in the heat. What a waste of money.

From a girl who loves beauty videos, Sephora sales, and cute colored makeup sponges, makeup for me is just not worth the everyday hassle. I have a new appreciation for the way I look while wearing makeup: all thanks to stepping away from it.