I started wearing makeup everyday in sixth grade. I know it sounds young, and thinking back on it, I was young and did not need it, but I liked it because it helped me express myself; it was fun to play with different styles.
I was out there! Purple eyeshadow up to my eyebrow, rosy cheeks, and foundation that made me look like chinstrap penguin. Glad those days are past me. Growing up through middle school, high school, and now college, I’ve, thankfully, gotten better at makeup, and I still love to wear to express myself and, of course, to cover my blemishes.
But since arriving at college, I’ve stopped wearing makeup everyday. Why? The quick answer is that I don’t have time in the morning to do it anymore, but once I started walking around everyday with a bare face, I discovered it meant so much more.
Not constantly wearing makeup when I have been wearing it since middle school has definitely made me more confident. Walking around just as me, with nothing concealed, confirms to me that I have nothing to hide. Especially in coming to college, stepping into a whole world of new people with no preconceived notions of me, I felt more comfortable starting over with a fresh face.
Another reason not wearing makeup everyday is amazing is, when you do wear makeup, it’s special. Wearing a daring lipstick or bold eye look once in a while or for a special occasion adds to a fashionable look and makes you feel more dressed up. People notice when you put the time and effort into applying makeup when you only wear it once in a while, whereas if you wear it everyday, it dilutes the specialness and makes dressing up blazé.
I’ve also noticed that since I’ve stopped coating my face with gunk everyday, even if I use primer, my skin and acne has gotten a million times better. Wearing makeup is a vicious cycle of using oil-filled goo to hide blemishes or acne, and while it is on your face throughout the day, it seeps deeper into your pores, causing more acne and making it harder for the existing ones to fade away. This makes you use more, and the cycle continues.
When you let your skin breathe a little, you will soon start to see your acne clear up and you will be comfortable in your own, natural skin. Sure, it’s hard, and you might feel embarrassed the first few days, but once you see your face clear up and get healthier, it will all be worth it and you will gain confidence.
As college students, we are all on a budget. Between books, tuition, housing, food, and all that coffee to help us with our 8 A.M. classes, who has the extra money to spend a fortune on makeup? By not wearing makeup everyday, I have saved so much money because I don’t run out as fast. On top of that, the money I save on makeup can now go towards more important things that a girl needs as a college student.
Makeup is an important tool to express yourself and, in my opinion, your face is the best canvas. However, makeup is not for everyone, and there are a myriad of different ways to express yourself, like clothes, hair, nails, etc. As long as you are being you, you are beautiful.