Reasons why I’m going makeup-free (and you should, too!)
So this week I decided to go makeup-free.
Lately there have been a lot of articles circulating on the Internet about the benefits of wearing no makeup. I know I don’t wear much makeup compared to most of my friends anyway, but the fact that I feel like I have to wear makeup to go about my daily life makes me feel uneasy.
While most girls wear makeup because they actually enjoy it or just to give them a little boost in confidence as a new pair of jeans would, I wear makeup every day because I feel like I look terrible without it.
So, in the interests of journalism and for the sake of my own self-esteem, I decided to remove makeup from my life for a whole week, and this is what happened.
Monday:
This was the worst day. Not putting any makeup on in the morning was great – I saved loads of time and it meant I could have an extra 15 minutes in bed. But when I saw my friends for a coffee with a full face of makeup looking beautiful, I just wanted to put a bag over my head and go home.
Tuesday:
I felt a bit better not putting any makeup on today. I really appreciated the extra 15 minutes sleep, and my skin was weirdly feeling much smoother than it normally does. I didn’t leave the house today (I’m a third year at uni so I’m drowning in work) but it still felt nice not to have anything clogging up my pores on my face.
Wednesday:
Third day in, and I’m already feeling better about the way I look. Whilst I still long for a mascara, I know that going makeup-free is great for my skin. And the best part about it is that my friends have even started complimenting how good I look without makeup. Starting to think I might do this more often…
Thursday:
Thursday was my friend’s birthday and we were going out for drinks. Whilst I usually love dressing up and doing my hair and makeup, this day was different. As I pulled on my favourite top and sorted my hair out in the mirror, I looked at my face and thought ‘wow, I look nice!’
And that was it. I went out to a few bars without any makeup on and the world didn’t end. I actually felt really good about it – I woke up remembering just how many people I told about my makeup-free week and how they all said they hadn’t even noticed!
Friday:
Obviously after last nights antics I spent Friday not feeling too great. Whilst I’d usually get changed and do my makeup with the hopes that if I look better I might actually feel better, today I couldn’t do that. So a duvet day in bed it was. And it felt REALLY good.
Saturday:
As much as I’m enjoying my newly found freedom away from my makeup bag, I also wish I could put some makeup on to wow my boyfriend. Whilst he’s been really lovely – even saying I look better without any makeup – I can’t help but feel like I would still look 10000x more attractive with just a tiny bit of eyebrow pencil. Still, I got through the day fine, and my boyfriend and I went for a lovely walk through some fields.
Sunday:
It’s my last day makeup-free, and I can’t help but feel a little bit strange. I seem to have spent the week longing to have just a little bit of makeup on my face, but now I realise I’ve accepted my ‘flaws’. I’ve spent the week realising other people don’t care if you wear makeup or not – it all comes down to confidence. Whilst I don’t think I’ll ever be completely makeup-free, I can definitely say I’ll be spending less time with a full-face on!