Disclaimer: This article is in no way meant to shame girls who wear makeup all the time. Whatever works for you! Do your thing girl!

I probably started wearing makeup in the 9th grade, and it soon after became the norm for me. I couldn't go as far as the backyard without wearing makeup in fear that someone would see what I actually looked like. My confidence has always been in repair. I used to love makeup so much. I spent all of my time watching beauty gurus on YouTube and collected each Naked palette and mascara like some people collect coins. So, senior year when I decided to stop wearing makeup, a lot of my friends were surprised. At first I felt so naked, so scared that people were thinking that I was ugly. But after about a week of sporting my bare face, I felt better than ever.

Though I loved getting all dolled up to go out on a date with my boyfriend or to have a fun time with my friends, I have learned lately that makeup is definitely not a necessity. I feel so much more comfortable in my own skin.

Now, I've always been someone who has encouraged people to do whatever makes them feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. If wearing makes you feel better about yourself, you should never be hesitant to wear it. But, if you're anything like I was in high school and hide behind makeup, I strongly encourage you to go without it for a week. I mean, I used to get acne all the time. Ever since I stopped wearing it my skin cleared up in the first week. This alone was a huge confidence booster for me.

People will see the beauty beneath. I feel like a lot of people probably thought I was a lot hotter when I wore a full face of makeup to school everyday. I learned so quickly that if you think that someone isn't going to love you just as much as they did before because you aren't wearing makeup, they probably aren't who you want to be hanging around anyway.

I used to date a guy (during the years I wouldn't go anywhere without makeup) who would literally cringe if I wasn't wearing makeup. He even told me I was a lot more appealing with it on! This, obviously, added to my list of insecurities. I feel like this is something a lot of girls have experienced.

I guess the point of this article is to convince you that you're beautiful with or without makeup. Makeup is fun, but you shouldn't feel like you have to wear it. Be free! You're worth so much more than what people think of you!