Hey Guys! It’s so nice to see you all here again. I hope you all had wonderful weeks. Today I’m going to be talking about wearing makeup and what it means to me.
I started playing around with makeup in middle school, and quickly became obsessed. I would show up to school with a full face of makeup, glitter eyeshadow, highlighter, the whole shebang. At first it was fun. I got to explore different sides of myself through makeup, and play around with it, but then it started to become a necessity.
I wouldn’t go anywhere without makeup. One time my dance team was taking a hot yoga class together, and I showed up with my face beat. We were literally doing yoga in 95 degree heat and I still wore makeup.
Another time I picked this bug bite on my face and it left me with an open wound, so I couldn’t wear makeup for like a week. I was so distraught. I remember talking to my friend in Spanish class about how I felt so uncomfortable not wearing makeup. Looking back now, I realize how much of a problem that was.
When I started wearing makeup, I would get compliments from people such as “I really like your makeup” or like “Your highlighter is on fleek”(It was 2018), and it was so nice to hear. As time passed, I think I started to rely on those compliments as the sole source of how I built my confidence. I didn’t think I looked good until someone told me which really messed with my brain. Imagine you’re a 14 year old girl, and 99% of your confidence is based on the approval of others. That was me in 8th grade.
As I got into high school, I definitely cared a tiny bit less about the compliments, but I was still wearing makeup everyday. Even when we had to wear masks to school during the pandemic I still came to school with eyeshadow. The only reason I stopped wearing makeup to school everyday is because in junior year of high school I got really depressed and could barely wake up in the morning. I didn’t have the energy to sit through all of my classes let alone put on makeup.
Junior year was a dark time in my life, but my mindset was forever changed after that year. The cause of my depression was numerous things, but it was truly stemming from feeling like I needed the approval of others. Shout out to Dr.Miller at my old high school because she made me realize that I didn’t.
After that year, I wore makeup less because my confidence started coming from within and not others. The days I did wear makeup it wasn’t because I wanted to feel pretty or because I wanted a compliment from someone, it was because I wanted to do my makeup for me.
A lot of people have it ingrained in their minds that they need to wear makeup, and to all of those people you are beautiful on the outside and especially on the inside. Wearing makeup only enhances the natural beauty you possess. Please try to remember that.
As I bid you all farewell until next Friday, I leave you all with a little challenge. If you’re someone that wears makeup everyday, I want you to try not wearing makeup for 1 day. I know it may be hard, but please try not for me, but for you and your mental wellbeing. You can do it. I know it.
Thank you all for reading this week’s article. I hope you all enjoyed it. Make sure to subscribe to be notified of new posts. Stay sharp 😉