Whenever I’m asked what I like to do in my spare time, playing with makeup is usually my first response. There’s nothing like the joy of opening up a new eyeshadow palette and getting to use it for the first time. Sadly, the pandemic started to take that joy away from me. I chalked it up as just another side effect of what was going on around us and moved on. After letting one of the biggest parts of my life start to fade away, I knew the only way to salvage whatever love was left was to change the way I was using makeup. Straying away from a full face was my only option. I decided it was time to go in the direction of minimalist makeup. It’s been roughly two months, and this is what I’ve learned so far.
- You don’t need a full face of makeup to be pretty.
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I used to genuinely believe that without a full face I wouldn’t be considered pretty, which is an insane thought to have. Now, I find that the less coverage of a foundation I wear, the more confident I feel.
- You can have an unhealthy relationship with makeup.
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While I still only wear makeup for my personal benefit, there are days where I’m scared of someone seeing my makeup-less face. Even though I thought I had the healthiest relationship with makeup, I quickly learned that on some days I didn’t.
- You’ll start to feel more confident in your own skin.
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Ironically enough, as much time as I spent blending out my multiple-step eye look, I was also worried about whether or not it looked good. Now that I throw on a shade or two and go about my day, I feel so much better about myself and worry less.
- You’ll start to focus on your skincare a little more.
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Now that my skin isn’t covered by a thick foundation every day anymore, it gave me the time to focus on my skin concerns. With this newfound time on my hands, I could start to perfect a skincare routine for myself.
- Just because you are wearing less doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.
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Just because I’m no longer spending 30 minutes on my eyeshadow doesn’t mean I can’t still have fun. Most of these fun days for me now consist of a single bright shade with a glitter topper over it. Quick and easy.
The journey away from a full face every day hasn’t been easy, but it’s what has helped me to love makeup again. Makeup feels less like a chore and more like a fun way to enhance my features.