I stopped wearing makeup for a month. This is what happened.

Most people that tried makeup for the first time did it for fun or to feel more confident. Personally, it was both situations for me. I thought it would be just another random hobby that I would pick up and quit once I got bored. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for me.

How it started

The first product I started using regularly was mascara. I can still remember the number of compliments I got that day at school. I felt so good that I decided to wear it every day. Bad decision.

Once I saw that people appreciated my appearance more because of wearing makeup, I decided to use even more products so that I could be perceived as even more beautiful. I spent hundreds of dollars to get the most popular makeup products from Sephora that I saw online and I started waking up one hour earlier every single day just to apply makeup.

My “dream” became true. Not only that I started getting tons of compliments a day, but people started being so much more kind to me all of a sudden. It felt wrong but I didn’t care. I was “happy” with all of that happening to me. I’d never felt beautiful until that time so I started wearing makeup every single day. I wouldn’t leave the house without makeup on even if I went to a small store only two minutes away. Being seen without makeup on was my new biggest nightmare.

Then the realization hit me.

Not only that I was ADDICTED to makeup, but my skin was destroyed. I remember my friends telling me how jealous they are because of my clean skin before I started wearing makeup. It was the thing I liked most about my appearance at the time. Now, my face was filled with pimples all over my face to the point that the only thing makeup could do was fade their red color away. It still looked horrible because I was applying so much foundation to “hide” them that I had the biggest texture-looking skin in the world.

The thing I liked most about myself was now gone. I started applying my makeup almost with disgust in the morning because no matter how much I would put on I still didn’t like the way I looked. There was no more extra makeup product to add to my collection to feel more beautiful. I tried everything only to realize I used to like myself so much more before I started wearing makeup. On top of that now I was insanely insecure because of my pimples.

I started remembering the days I didn’t care what I looked like at all. I’d simply enjoy life as it was without caring about my looks. I missed not worrying about what other people thought of me, not being stressed about whether or not someone is going to see me without makeup on, not wasting one hour of my life each day on something that didn’t make me feel good, not wasting so much money from my savings just to buy more makeup.

So I made the decision.

I told myself it had come too far. I had to stop it. I was feeling miserable and I knew that makeup no longer brought me any joy, and even when it did, it was only an illusion caused by my need and seeking of other people’s approval.

I finally took the decision to go out with some of my friends without any makeup on. None of them have seen me without makeup on for a really long time and was so scared of their reaction once they saw me. I left the house feeling ashamed like it was wrong for me to let my real face exist, but I knew there was no going back.

The moment I arrived at my friend’s car, I was expecting the weirdest looks I could possibly get from someone. I was prepared to be judged, to be told that I looked sick and tired. None of that happened. Not only that they didn’t say anything about me not wearing makeup, but they were acting like there was absolutely nothing different with me. I was actually shocked. Once I had a moment with my best friend only I asked her what she thinks of me without makeup on and she simply said there wasn’t that big of a difference and that I look good.

I don’t remember the last time I felt that relieved, because in my eyes I looked horrible without makeup on. I used to get people asking me if I am tired or sick because of my dark circles before wearing makeup, and when I started meeting up with other people after quitting makeup I got that again once, but for some reason, it didn’t affect me the way it used to. Because for once in my life, I didn’t care anymore how others perceived me. I cared that I was finally happy with who I was and that the illusion of a beauty standard was not worth as much as my happiness and inner peace.

Conclusions

One month later, I can proudly say I no longer feel insecure, I actually like my face and, regarding the pimples, half of them are already gone:)

I didn’t make this article to “convince” anyone that makeup is the worst thing in the world and that you should immediately quit it. No. This is not the point of the article. I made it for the people that are now feeling just like I did, that let other people’s opinions consume their minds to the point that they sacrificed their own happiness just to fulfill someone else’s expectations. I have enormous respect for make-up artists, for people that use makeup because they truly like it and enjoy it, but I know there are now people just like me, that don’t have the courage to accept themselves as they are. If you find yourself in this situation, I really hope this article will help you understand that YOU are in control of your life, so take the step that you are afraid of taking.