It all started when I was too lazy to wear makeup to class. It was 7:30 am, I didnât get enough sleep from the night before, and I simply didnât want to put on makeup for class. âWhatâs the harm in skipping a day?â, I said to myself. Well, nothing. After that, I continued not wearing makeup to class.
As a dedicated makeup wearer, I couldnât be seen going to class without at least a coat or two of mascara. While it took up to twenty minutes to do in the morning, I got up and put my daily face of makeup on, no matter how early my class was in the morning. From brow gel to tinted sunscreen to mascara to cream blush, my routine became a ritual, crafted from years of wearing makeup to school. However, this quarter has been the first quarter that Iâve had an 8 am, and I simply got too lazy to wear makeup to class. The funny thing is, I never imagined myself as the type to not wear makeup to class. I thought I would be uglier if I didnât wear makeup; I felt insecure and lacked self-confidence when I didnât wear makeup.Â
As a few weeks passed, however, I began to feel more confident not wearing makeup to class. I felt more like myself, like I wasnât hiding behind something or someone. I vividly remember walking to my program in computing lecture in the middle of the day thinking to myself âHmm… going makeup-free isnât actually that bad. I should do this more often.â Whether it was out of pure laziness or not, I have genuinely felt so much better in how I look. Granted, I love wearing a little bit of makeup to class now and again, but going makeup free for my 8am class, and hence the rest of the day, has made me feel more grounded in a way that I didnât expect, like I was myself for the first time.Â
To be frank, I love wearing makeup. The added confidence it gives me before a night out always makes me feel better. A good full face of makeup makes my week. Some of my best memories have been when Iâve worn a full face. Whether it’s been cultivating products I love over almost ten years of using makeup, or trying life-changing products that make my makeup look that much better, I love wearing makeup. However, not wearing makeup to class has shifted my relationship with makeup from one that is dependent to one that seems more optional, like I have the power in how I alter my face for the day.Â
Overall, going makeup free for my early morning classes has made me feel more like myself, and thus more confident. The sense of genuine calmness and serenity that going-makeup free once or twice a week has given me has been amazing. So, if you find yourself needing a confidence boost during midterms, consider challenging yourself to not wearing makeup for a day, and see how your sense of self blossoms.Â