Then began the discussion about natural beauty, and if you want to read her discussion do click the link above because she really goes into her thoughts on the matter quite well.
And for whatever reason, this discussion really struck a chord with me. I rarely see women who wear absolutely no makeup, it's almost sociably unacceptable for a woman to go out completely bare faced. It certainly isn't the norm, and you know that people do tend to pass judgement on those who choose not to wear makeup. For example, the last job I had was in a corporate office building as a receptionist. There was one girl in the office who didn't wear any makeup. I didn't think she looked bad, she had nice skin, naturally dark lashes, and her face was defined well so she didn't need any extra contouring. Yet still there were other people in the office who were baffled that she never wore makeup. They deemed it rather unprofessional. She was never like reprimanded or anything because it's really not a big deal, it was just the center of idle office gossip on quite a few occasions.
But really, what's the big deal? I don't wear makeup most days. If I need to run to the grocery store or the gas station I'll throw on some mascara and lip gloss and call it good. It's generally only when I'm going out with friends or something that I feel the need to wear full makeup. Or if I just feel like blogging. But right now my days are generally spent at home with my daughter. So why bother with it?
My brain has been totally stuck on this topic since I read the post. Like, why do I feel the need to wear at least a little makeup just to run to the gas station? Why do I need makeup on to go to my mum's house? I mean, I highly doubt the gas station attendant gives a shit about how I look when I go in, and my mum knows what I look like without makeup. She's not even wearing makeup half the time I go over there on the weekend unless she just got back from church/work. I don't think I look bad without makeup, my skin is pretty balanced so it's not like I'm hiding breakouts most days. I do get some circles under my eyes as I'm sleep deprived most of the time, but even those aren't super dark.
And all these thoughts running around in my head got me wondering exactly how much better I look with makeup than without. How much does this stuff really enhance my appearance? I never really do comparison pictures, so tonight I figured it was about time I did. So tonight I took some pictures of myself wearing absolutely no makeup or hair products. Completely natural aside from the three bobby pins I used to pin my bangs back. Then I scrolled through some of my older photos and found one where I was doing a mostly natural look with full makeup and compared them. Obviously I look better with makeup, especially under the scrutiny from the flash on my camera. But honestly, I like the truly natural photos. They make me look more real and rather fresh in a way. It's just a really honest look, like there's nothing to hide here. It's just me. And I figured I'd share the comparison with you guys, see what your opinions on this are.
And this is the person I portray. My skin looks flawless and glowing, no real visible signs of age yet. My lips look full and healthy. My eyes look large and well defined and my brows look full and shapely. The wax in my hair keeps my curls springy and prevents any stray hairs from floating around and keeps frizziness at bay. I look fabulous, but it's not who I really am.
Now don't get me wrong. I love makeup, and I love that with makeup I can change how others perceive me at a glance. How even when I feel like crap or run down, I can make myself look like absolutely nothing is wrong. It's rather empowering that by doing something so simple I can change the way people see me. It's really been a saving grace these past couple months.
I just think there's something to be said for a natural face. It's beautiful in its' own way. And it's real. I may love my makeup but I love my real face way more. It's who I am, and I think I'm pretty fucking awesome.
However, doing this post and really seeing my skin under the harsh light really showed me how much I've been neglecting it recently. So I think I'm going to have to go out and get some decent skin products so I can help get my skin back in order. It used to look much better than it did today. And I'm going to start drinking more water because that really is the biggest contributor to healthy, radiant skin. The nicer weather will also help as I'll be outside more often, and for me, a healthy dose of sunlight drastically improves the overall look of my skin.
So please, tell me your thoughts on this subject. How do you feel about going out 100% natural? Do you ever go out without makeup? And remember, I do prefer brute honesty people. If you think I'm totally diluted for liking the natural look, you don't have to hold back. I really, truly want to know how you guys feel about this business!!!! Also, if you have any recommendations for great skincare products let me know. I'm a big fan of the Clinique 3 Step System, but I'd like to try something new. Haven't had the whole 3 Step System in a while and I really miss it. The stuff I'm using right now is only so-so. But, if you couldn't tell from the pictures, I'm totally burnt out and in desperate need of some shut eye. Til next time!
