Makeup is one way that many people express themselves. It can make you feel put together and boost confidence.
Photo Courtesy of Jamie Street
Throughout middle school and most of high school, I wore makeup nearly every day. I spent countless amounts of money as I went through product after product.
I started wearing makeup when I began having really bad breakouts in middle school. I caked foundation on every morning before school, hoping it would reduce the redness. I tried compensating for all of the acne I had by wearing a lot of makeup. I put on layers of mascara, dark eyeliner, and various colors of eyeshadow.
In addition, I had to wake up so much earlier before school so that I would have time to shower, blow dry my hair, and do my makeup.
After coming home at the end of the school day, I would look in the mirror to find the face of a melted clown. My under eyes were dark from smudged mascara, my foundation would be caked within the creases of my nose and smile lines, and my lipstick would be almost completely wiped off minus what was left around my lips.
Photo Courtesy of Tom Roberts
I never considered myself to be someone who was great at applying makeup. It never seemed to stay on my face throughout the day and I ended up looking worse than I started. The makeup just didn’t seem to be worth all of the money I was spending on it. The only thing holding me back from not wearing it was the excessive acne.
As I went through high school and started using skin care products and taking medication that helped clear my skin, I felt confident enough to leave my house without makeup. In fact, I felt all of the makeup that I had used to cover my blemishes were only making my skin worse. It could finally breathe, and I didn’t have to scrub my face with makeup remover every night, which seemed to irritate my skin even more.
As high school graduation approached, I limited my makeup use to almost nothing. I never wore foundation, and I would only wear mascara a few days a week. I decided that once I ran out of my makeup, I wouldn’t replace any of it.
I only wore makeup a few times over the entire course of the summer following high school graduation. I felt myself when I wasn’t wearing it, because everyone could see exactly what I looked like all of the time.
I realized that people—especially guys—tend to appreciate a girls natural beauty more than the face she covers up with makeup. People want to see the real you. I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable in my own skin, and I’ve truly been able to accept who I am through not wearing makeup.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Alex Holyoake