First dates can be incredibly overwhelming. The opportunity to get to know someone new and the subsequent excitement and preparation that comes with it has been recounted in movies and television time and again. Unfortunately for our generation, actual dates have become a thing of the past. Unless, of course, your date wants to see what you look like without makeup. You may have heard of the new suggestion gracing Twitter that reads, “Take a bitch swimming on the first date,” following the photo transition of twenty-year-old Ashley VanPevenage.

After having an allergic reaction to benzoyl, VanPevenage enlisted the help of make-up artist Andreigha Wazy to show the power of makeup, as well as prove to other women with flawed skin that they are certainly not alone. However, after posting a side-by-side comparison with and without makeup (see above), Ashley soon became the face of a cruel meme, presumably created by a boy, insisting makeup is nothing but a tool women use to trick boys into dating them. (Note the strategic usage of the term "boys" and not "men"). As a young woman who loves to wear makeup, and typically does so the majority of the time I leave my dorm, I have decided to openly list the many things you will learn about me if you decide to take me swimming on the first date.

1. I am a pretty good swimmer.

I took lessons as a kid. It’s moderately impressive, but I’m not one to brag.

2. I have a mom, a dad, and an older sister.

Who would’ve thought the questions would be so deep on a swimming date? (ba-dum-tss)

3. My dog’s name is Jessie, and I love her more than I will ever love you.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sorry ‘bout it.

4. My favorite movie of all time is currently "Good Will Hunting."

The script is absolute genius, and every monologue by Robin Williams brings me to tears. R.I.P Robin. You left us too soon.

5. I’m incredibly passionate about theater and love to make people laugh.

I may even show you some of the ridiculous pictures of me dressed as the Swedish Chef in my Muppet-themed dance recital, but that’s a privilege that must be earned.

6. My favorite show to binge-watch on Netflix is "Grey’s Anatomy."

Disclaimer: this was not me inviting you to ‘Netflix and Chill.’

7. When I was little I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon so I could save kids’ lives and sing to them while they were in recovery.

Sadly, biology wound up not being my thing. But it was a nice thought.

8. I have a fear of sponges that is very real and very irrational.

I don’t want to talk about it.

9. My fingers start to look like little prunes if I stay in the pool for too long.

We’ve been swimming for a while. Accept me for my prune-y-ness.

10. I’m an Aries, which makes me very headstrong, independent, and at times a little impatient.

But if you've asked me what my sign is I’m questioning whether we’re actually on a date or if you’re hitting on me at a bar.

11. If you happen to ask about my makeup, I will tell you that my favorite lipstick is Plum Dandy by MAC, and the reason my mascara isn’t running down my face is because it was handcrafted by the gods of waterproofing.

Wait, I didn’t just throw random products on my face in the hopes of impressing you? How curious…

12. I am so much more than my outward appearance.

If you ask me out on a real date, you will learn so much more than what my face looks like without makeup, and all of these menial facts are just scratching the surface. I, like Ashley VanPevenage, am a real person with real aspirations. a real family, and real feelings. If you choose to judge me based on what I look like, with or without makeup, then I simply have no time for you. And I’m not sorry ‘bout it.

Makeup can be incredibly empowering. As a woman who loves to put on makeup, I can assure everyone reading this that, while it does help in covering up some of the imperfections on my face, I am not wearing it for anyone's benefit. I’m ending this article with my own side-by-side photo to show that I am not ashamed of how I look, and with the hope that more women will learn that they, too, are more than their makeup.