When I read Becca’s incredible article on her decision to stop wearing makeup in college, I loved her point that every girl has a different relationship with makeup and thus different reasons to wear it. I, personally, wear only cover-up on normal days, and I wear maybe eyeliner and mascara for more special occasions. This system has worked out well for years, and I love that I have opportunities to go completely barefaced and opportunities to play with makeup a little more. So, makeup and I have a pretty good acquaintanceship, I would say. But I feel completely dependent on something else that some may call purely cosmetic: my contact lenses.
When I was in second grade, my vision started to worsen. I was expecting it; both of my parents wear glasses, and they say that their vision started deteriorating at the same time mine did. Wearing glasses didn’t bother me at first, and I welcomed the ability to see the chalkboard without everything looking blurry. In fifth grade, one of my classmates got contacts, and I became obsessed with the idea of getting them. It wasn’t because I felt like my glasses were ugly but because they seemed like the mark of maturity. My classmate got contacts because her parents thought she was old enough to have them.
My parents, however, did not agree with my classmates, and it took me almost two years of incessant begging until they finally caved. I got my first prescription for contacts in seventh grade. I couldn’t stop staring at myself in the mirror; I compare it to the day I got my braces off. Finally, I was seeing the real me.
Since that day, I have very rarely ever gone outside while wearing my glasses. That is about eight and a half years of contacts. Most of my friends at college have never seen me wear my glasses because I really only wear them in my dorm room. At home, even if I’m going outside to walk the dog for a minute, there’s a good chance that I will have to put my contacts in first.
One summer at camp, I ran out of contacts a few days into the last week. I figured it wasn’t necessary to write home and ask for more contacts, so I decided just to wear my glasses for the rest of the time. It was camp, and I felt comfortable enough to keep my glasses on. However, everybody likes to get dressed up and take an exorbitant amount of pictures on the last night. I decided to leave my glasses off for the pictures, and spend the majority of that night unable to see three feet in front of me. Was it worth it? Yes. When I look back on pictures from that night on Facebook, I focus on how pretty my dress was and on how wide my smile was even though I was sad on the inside to be leaving my friends. I see me, not me-with-glasses.
Yes, I do feel more confident when my contacts are in, and, yes, I have most definitely been influenced by the whole “glasses are for nerds” and “if you take off the shy girl’s glasses you’ll find a stunning girl underneath” stereotypes (thanks, Taylor Swift). I can easily tell myself that I look beautiful with and without makeup, but I honestly can’t tell myself that I look beautiful with my glasses on.
But I don’t even think that’s the biggest issue. I don’t feel myself with my glasses on. If I were to walk into Peirce Hall right now with my glasses, I would probably be stopped by at least 10 people saying, “Hey, Jessica, I didn’t know you wore glasses. Why are you wearing them today?” I’ve gone so long without wearing glasses on a daily basis that they have stopped becoming a part of my identity.
And honestly, that’s all right. My contacts don’t hurt me and they don’t hurt anybody else. I like wearing them, and I should be okay with that.
Photos courtesy of bulletin.com and angieslist.com