“I believe in manicures, I believe in overdressing, I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick.”
-Audrey Hepburn
For a lot of women, wearing makeup is something that’s done every day. It makes them feel like themselves, or it makes them feel put together and ready to face the day (pun intended). There’s a small group of people who try to shame these women and tell them that they have no self-confidence because they “paint their faces” or some such rot. Then there are women who are scared of makeup because they have never been taught how to properly use it to enhance their natural beauty. I belong to the first group, the ones who wear makeup every day. Why? A big reason is because I work in a professional environment where I need to look 1. Put together and 2. Older than my 20 years. While I don’t have a babyface, I do look young. This is no place to look like a fresh-faced young thing! This is the real world.
However, I don’t wear makeup only because of work. On the weekends I enjoy messing around with my cosmetics. It’s not a hobby, and I’m not good at it, but I like to play around with my eyeshadow or try a new lip color. I don’t typically go for bold looks with my makeup, but I’m willing to get a bit dramatic with my eye makeup if I feel like it.
I don’t have a huge cabinet full of cosmetics – I only have one drawer in which I store all my items. And honestly the idea of shopping at Sephora terrifies me because it’s expensive and overwhelming. I mainly shop online for my makeup. I like ColourPop because of their cheap yet high quality products.
While this post may seem like a bit of a rambler, I do have a point I want to make. It’s that makeup is not a bad thing. You’re not “less of a woman” because you wear makeup. You’re not “insecure,” or “vain,” or “fake.” If you don’t wear makeup, good for you. If you do wear makeup, good for you. I don’t cover up my uneven skin tone or dark circles because I’m insecure about them, I cover that stuff up because I know that I look more awake, alive, and ready for the day with a bit of concealer. Some women are blessed with perfect skin. I sure ain’t one of them, but that’s okay.
If you’re scared to wear makeup or don’t feel like yourself when you wear makeup, I want you to mess around with it until you do. Makeup is a skill, and like any skill, there’s a learning curve. Sometimes all you need to do is ask somebody who wears makeup what you should do, or watch some Youtube tutorials. When in doubt, use a lighter touch. Trial and error are as much a part of figuring out your makeup as with anything in life.
Makeup doesn’t make you beautiful, but it will go a long way to enhance your natural beauty! There’s nothing wrong with makeup. There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself a boost of confidence by using mascara. There’s nothing immodest or prideful about accentuating your best features with a little powder. Stop feeling like a heathen for wearing or wanting to wear makeup. You don’t feel that way about wearing cute and fashionable clothes, so why would you feel that way about something that most people won’t even notice?
A simple makeup tutorial:
- Apply either facial lotion or primer all over your face.
- Use some concealer under your eyes and on any blemishes
- Dust a layer of pressed powder all over your face
- Optional: Use highlighter and bronzer
- Use an eyebrow pencil and fill in those brows!
- Smile, and dust some blush on the apples of your cheeks
- Slap some mascara onto your lashes
- Chapstick first, then glide on your lip color
Mellow Musings 