Less is More: finding self-confidence without makeup
- loisferns
- Oct 25, 2020
- 5 min read
Anyone who knows me personally knows I LOVE makeup; sometimes I can sit down for hours doing a full face of makeup for a date or going to town, and this doesn’t bother me as it’s fun and a way to express myself creatively. However, in my day to day life, such as going to uni, shopping, and meeting up with friends, I don’t tend to wear any makeup; but it wasn’t always like this for me. In school, I left trapped in the face I had created through wearing makeup every single day. Despite this, I found a way to stop wearing makeup and find confidence in my bare skin.
Makeup has been around for centuries, from the Egyptians, to Elizabethan court-goers, to present time. The only thing that changes with each generation of makeup wearers is the trends and the styles, and the people who make them.
Up until the 1800s, men would also wear makeup for many different purposes, but after that point, makeup became a gendered product, and one that men could dictate. In old makeup tutorials and adverts you can see that it is men who told women what to wear and how to wear it; even some of our most well-known and beloved makeup brands today were founded by men in the late 1800s to early 1900s, such as: Maybelline, Rimmel, Revlon, and many more.
Despite the makeup industry's patriarchal past our society is changing; it is acceptable for anyone to wear makeup and the market for makeup is rapidly expanding, especially over the past few years with the growth of Beauty Gurus on YouTube. Some of my favourite gurus are men, and I love how makeup is seen as such a creative and liberating art form for everyone nowadays and isn't as much of a gendered product.
But with the growth of social media comes societal pressures, self-doubt, and feelings of inadequacy. The pressure put on young women and men to look like social media influencers and follow trends has become a prominent issue; sponsored products can be shoved into our faces and we can get caught up in the hype, and sometimes these products aren’t even that great and not worth the price point. We’re told that only certain products will work to achieve a specific result, but what if you can’t afford what your favourite influencer uses, or what if you can’t achieve the look that they created so effortlessly.
Social media is one of the most amazing yet detrimental inventions of our generation. Makeup has become a social construct and a marketing technique, making us feel as though when we leave the house we must wear makeup. But makeup is also an artistic activity that many use as a form of escapism and a creative outlet; a few years ago I found the harmonising balance between all these elements by finding confidence in my appearance and skin.
My relationship with makeup has evolved and grown over time. I feel as though we all have similar first experiences with makeup, we either get makeup from our mums or go shopping with them or friends to buy that first magical bottle of foundation, and from there it builds. As your experience and knowledge grows, you buy more products, and WEAR more products, and it takes longer and longer to get ready for that special event, or even just to meet friends.
When I was in secondary school, makeup felt like a necessity, I couldn’t leave the house without it let alone go to school without any makeup on. By the time I got to sixth form, I had had enough of the early mornings and the feeling that I was wearing makeup for others and not myself, and spending so much money too! So I decided enough was enough, why should I get up early, tire myself out, and spend money on something, and for people, I may not even interact with on a daily, even monthly basis!
I went from wearing the full shabam: foundation, concealer, mascara, eyeshadow, contour, and highlight, to absolutely nothing in a matter of weeks; and here’s how I did it.
I remember talking to a friend about how much I was starting to hate wearing makeup every single day as it took the fun out of it, and she agreed with me, so we decided the next day we would come in with one less product on and work our way down from there.
I came in with everything I usually wear except my eyeshadow, and I remember being very proud of myself as I loved (and still love) wearing eyeshadow. But to my horror, my friend had come in with her usual full face of makeup. I felt let down as it was the pact that gave me the confidence to come in with less makeup, and I also felt self-conscious, and I felt like everyone was going to notice and think I looked weird and better with more makeup on.
But it soon dawned on me, I had already come into school and seen people, and no one had said a word, no one had even noticed, it wasn’t a big deal to anybody, and I remember thinking:
"So why should it be a big deal to me?"
And so day by day, week by week, I wore less products, until I got down to just concealer, and then the day came for me to wear no makeup at all. I was nervous, maybe even as far as scared. I have very prominent dark circles, so much so that even concealer has a hard time covering them, and I thought I would catch people looking at me and thinking I must not get much sleep when in fact I was probably getting too much sleep back then! And yet again, I was surprised when no one seemed to care, just like every other time I had come in with one less makeup product on my face no one batted an eyelid.
And this is why I think it is essential that we normalise not wearing makeup on a day to day basis. The feeling of walking into school, not wearing an ounce of makeup, and no one caring at all was the most liberating feeling. Makeup could now be what it used to be to me, an artistic outlet, an activity for me and my own enjoyment, and not for the social construct that to look presentable and professional you need to wear makeup.
I know it may sound dramatic, but even being able to go to the corner store without makeup on felt so freeing, I felt as though I was my own person and that I didn’t have to wear a mask to go outside; and in turn I became more confident in my appearance.
I wasn’t picking out all the imperfections in the mirror, I wasn’t worried about my dark circles, and wasn’t worried about what other people thought.
And then during those events or days where I did wear makeup I still felt as confident as I did without makeup. I think it is important to remember that makeup doesn’t make you a better person; yes it may give you more self-confidence, but it doesn’t change who you are and it doesn't make you a better person. You are still you underneath the makeup.
So I would urge everyone reading this who wears makeup and feels as though they are trapped in the cycle of wearing it every single day to start the same process I did of taking each day, or week even, as it comes and work your way down slowly. Makeup should not be a social construct and we should not feel as though we must wear it to look presentable or that if we don't people will judge us. Makeup should be a way for us to express ourselves, and not a way to determine someone's beauty, professionalism, or, most importantly, self-worth.
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