I choose not to wear makeup as a personal choice. Not because I hate makeup for the usual reason that I think women wear makeup to appeal to the patriarchy. I know makeup is a morning ritual or a way of self-expression for some, but it’s not for me. When everyone started wearing makeup, I started as well. I began cloaking my face in dark makeup every morning before school. Though that ritual stopped though when I reached my senior year of high school. For five years I have never consistently worn makeup every day. Instead, I chose the natural look and here are my seven reasons why:
01. I LIKE THE WAY I LOOK NATURAL
GIF courtesy of Beautyheaven.
I like having the same look when I wake up and when I go to bed, mainly because I know my makeup won’t be smeared under my eyes when I get home for school or work. When I first stopped wearing makeup, I noticed that there were aspects of my face that I began falling in love with because I wasn’t wearing makeup. Like those light freckles on my face, I love them because they highlight my natural look.
02. I DON’T WANT TO HIDE BEHIND DARK MAKEUP
GIF courtesy of WPT Blog.
I was that freshman high school girl who would wear the raccoon eyes and hide behind dark makeup. I think it had to do something to do with the fact that I was battling that teenage angst. When I entered my senior year, I decided it was time for a break. Time to stop hiding behind my messy and dark makeup and embrace who I was. I even went to my prom with a face completely without makeup. And to this moment, that’s one of my favorite things about that night. It was a marked a full transition for me.
03. I HAVE MORE TIME IN THE MORNING
GIF courtesy of Tenor.
Whenever there are days where I wear makeup, I notice how much time I added to my morning routine then the days where I don’t wear makeup. I’m always on the move. I wake up at 6 am at work and leave work at 9 am. From there I go home, get ready, and walk to school all before 10 am. I love the fact that I don’t rely on makeup because that gives me more time to get my school work, I didn’t have time to finish from the night before. Overall, not wearing makeup adds more time throughout the day.
04. I LEARNED TO LOVE MY FLAWS
GIF courtesy of Celebrity Quotes.
I’m perfectly aware that I have light blonde eyelashes and that my face without makeup makes me look even more like a thirteen-year-old. But I accept that. I don’t mind that I will continuously get carded no matter where I go, I am who I am, flaws and all. When I stopped wearing makeup my senior year of high school, I wasn’t the most confident at first, but over time my confidence blossomed, and I began to look my bare face, yes, even though light blonde eyelashes.
05. I AM SAVING MORE MONEY
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According to a recent survey done by beauty e-trailer, SkinStore found that women in the United States on average spend about $300,000 on their face during their lifetime. That’s wild to me. If I spend just half of that, I still might have enough money to buy a whole apartment. I noticed that my credit statement is a lot lower the months I choose not to go to Sephora.
06. MY FACE LOVES ME FOR IT
GIF courtesy of Gfycat.
I’ve always had good skin, despite my random blotches of red that randomly appear because my face isn’t covered up by foundation. And maybe that’s the reason why. Many makeup products carry toxic materials and substances that can be harmful to your skin. Because I have consistently put on makeup on in five years, my skin has had fewer breakouts. My skin is thanking me for not putting on a face full of makeup every day.
07. I FEEL MORE CONFIDENT
GIF courtesy of Gifer.
It’s not just my confidence with my looks that began to grow; it was also that I started to accept my inner flaws. I know I am overly sarcastic when I don’t want to feel emotions or that I am an obnoxiously loud talker. But I’ve recognized these characteristics and more and accept to a degree where I am willing to also work on them. I feel more confident with a naked face than one covered in makeup because of the confidence it gave me.