In the last two years, I went from wearing no makeup to having a somewhat consistent routine. Each morning, I focused on “correcting” my face. Sometimes, I contoured. Other times, I did my lashes. Still, even with slight alterations in my routine, things remained consistent: I covered my hyperpigmentation, “fixed” my prominent vermillion border (or double lip line) and tried to make my eyes appear less tired and more friendly.
MY REASON FOR NO MAKEUP
At first, putting on makeup didn’t feel like a necessity. It was fun for me to do while getting ready for my day. But sooner than later, it became sort of a crutch to feel good about myself. After wearing makeup for so long and using it to cover what I believed were imperfections about myself, I began to dislike my natural face—and I hadn’t even realized it.
No, I wasn’t walking around with full glam or beating my face to the nines. But my makeup still altered my self-perception, so I knew it was time to let it go. Therefore, I decided that for Lent, makeup would be one of the things I was giving up. For 40 days, I stopped wearing concealer, lashes, mascara, blush, and lip liner—which was the hardest since I rarely went a day without lining my lips. I also made sure to track my progress throughout this journey by writing down anything I thought was relevant.
STARTING MY NO MAKEUP JOURNEY
At first, it didn’t seem bad. That was because I had nowhere to go. But when events started to come up, I lowkey began to sweat. Regardless, I stayed strong and remained committed to my goal.
It wasn’t until 2 and 1/2 weeks that I started to feel different about myself. One morning in early March, after finishing my skincare routine, I looked at my reflection and thought, “Wow, I look beautiful” (in the least conceited sense possible). I had stunning eyes, thick brows and lashes, and full lips.
At that moment, I thought about how insane I was for altering my features as if they weren’t beautiful on their own. How crazy it was that, at a point in time, I wasn’t confident about the richness of my dark skin and allowed insecurities to ruin my sense of self. Not only was my appearance the result of a unique combination of DNA (the bio major in me talking), but it took generations of people to make what I saw in the mirror. I kept covering my eyes and peeking through, and the beautiful girl I saw that day remained unchanging.
About ten days later, I felt that sentiment again. It happened again a week later. I had a breakout, yet despite the dark spots and pimples, I was pretty. Three days later, I still felt the same.
Even though the 40 days are up, I still go out bare-faced. I’m so glad that I chose to go on this journey. My self-confidence went up a lot. Yes, I think it’s okay to wear makeup. It’s also okay if your face isn’t beat and your lashes aren’t done all the time. Makeup is not a completion. It is an addition to the beauty you already have. You should never feel less than whole when you don’t have it on your face. You are beautiful just the way you are.