When I was younger, I was uncomfortable with who I was. Just like most children, as I aged I grew noticeably unhappy with myself. But in my case specifically, I began to dislike my body, my mind, my everything. I shy’d away from people, kept to myself, avoided mirrors, did my best not to attract any attention to myself, and coasted through life in a heap of discomfort.
And while I still battle insecurities again, as everyone does, over time I have began to mend myself back together again, and love myself more than ever.
One of the reasons being minimal makeup.
Sounds silly, right?
I know, but hear me out.
While I’m not claiming that minimal makeup was the life-changing magic that, poof!, made my life suddenly glamorous and wonderful and suddenly I was a confident bad ass…. I can contribute a portion of my inner-peace to makeup (or, rather, lack-there-of).
I loved changing my features, sculpting my cheekbones, filling in my brows, blending out seven different eyeshadows on my lids, etc. so that when people first looked at me, they might not see the flaws that glared through, but instead a well-blended face.
And for a while, it actually worked. People complimented my makeup, I felt good.
But I didn’t feel like myself.
And then one day work got hectic, I became busy, and I didn’t have time to spend an hour and a half (yeah, seriously. It took me that long to get ready) on my makeup.
So I began wearing minimal makeup and started actually feeling comfortable. And happy. And confident.
Why?
01. Because by wearing natural, barely-there makeup, I saw more of my own natural features. Every time I glanced in a mirror, I saw myself – not a version of myself. And the more I was exposed to it, the more I was okay with it.
02. I was stripped and vulnerable. But in that, I found strength. And the fact that I overcame the idea of hiding behind a mask of makeup, empowered me more than ever.
03. I spent less time getting ready in the morning, which means I could take more time to have my coffee, enjoy some “me-time”, and not feel so rushed. In return, my mental health thanked me.
04. It taught me to love myself in my current state. Not love myself at a certain size, with a certain look, with a certain makeup look on, in a certain outfit. But love myself.
05. I stopped looking putting so much attention towards my looks, and began focusing on myself as a person with a mind. And that’s what matters. Who you are to others, who you are to yourself, how you treat people, your dreams and goals, your humor, your smile, your laugh, what makes you happy, what makes you angry, what ignites your fire. Where you want to go in life, who you want to be. These things matter the most.
06. I got out of that “I need to hide myself away” mentality, and began embracing myself more outwardly.
07. By accepting this part of me, it slowly but surely began to help me accept other parts of me. I didn’t have to dislike myself. I was set free. I didn’t have to think about who I wanted to be in five, ten, fifteen years, but who I was now. What I could now to feel better about myself. What I could do now to be a better person. What I could do now to be happier in life. I began living in the moment, without apology.
While I believe everyone has their own journey, and nothing can ever be quite mimicked, I do believe that everyone should find ways to feel a bit more comfortable with who they are right now. Tons of people, myself included, tend to live in the past and the future. Dwelling on a better time in their lives, hoping for an upcoming ray of light.
But by doing so, we fail to really enjoy life to our maximum potential. We teach ourselves to say no more than yes, to not try at all rather than fail, to let the other person speak while we listen, to play it safe.
But I believe life is made up of moments and decisions, that string our lives together, and shape who we are and who we will be. And I think once we overcome the fear of being noticed, the feeling of being uncomfortable with who we are, the want to be anyone else but ourselves, we break free from the small box we have tucked ourselves away into.
Only then, can we live to our true potential.
So, I ask you: What are you going to do today to shape tomorrow? What are your thoughts on minimal makeup? How often throughout the week do you wear little to no makeup? Do you think you’d be inclined less makeup in hopes to find peace with yourself? Or do you believe that less makeup has no direct correlation with being comfortable with who you are?
Let me know in the comment section, as any and all thoughts are welcome.
And as always, thanks for reading! -Kimberly Starr
Bloom & Co. 