Having grown up with a mom who worked for Estee Lauder, I knew how to apply makeup long before I could see a PG-13 movie at the movie theater. My makeup bag was always bursting at the seams with new (free!) makeup, and for eight years I never left the house without it. What I never really understood was how my brother was able to wake up 10 minutes before he had to leave and still feel good about himself, while it took me an entire hour of primping and priming to feel socially acceptable. This summer, after calculating all the time I spent going through my beauty routines--the lotions, cleansers, straighteners and sprays--I decided to try the No Makeup Challenge. I didn’t set a deadline for myself and I didn’t set any rules, but this ended up being an incredible growing experience for me.
Like a great pair of jeans or killer new shoes, makeup makes women feel confident, pretty, and approachable. But what happens when the makeup comes off and the true you shines through? Here are the five things I learned while baring it all during the No Makeup Challenge.
1. Some people may not know how to react, and society is to blame
The first day I started the challenge, one of my fellow interns told me I looked “really tired” and asked me if I was feeling okay. Women are always encouraged by magazines, celebrities, mothers, and friends to love their skin, and as soon as we do, we’re ridiculed for not looking our best or wearing our “full face." Makeup should not be the reason people treat you differently or question your health. Society has become so comfortable with a full face of makeup that seeing a woman without it can be confusing. Here’s a great tip that seems pretty obvious but can easily be forgotten: If you come across a girl without makeup on, don’t treat her any differently. She doesn’t have to have a reason to not wear makeup, and she definitely doesn’t have to justify herself to you. Don’t bring it up (unless you’re going to compliment her!) and just act normal.
Note to all men: NEVER tell a girl she looks tired (with or without makeup on). You’re just asking for trouble.
2. So much extra time!
The best thing by far about the No Makeup Challenge is how much extra time you have. I started sleeping in an additional hour everyday, which my body thanked me for by eliminating the dark circles under my eyes (hello, natural makeup!). Even after I ended the challenge and started wearing makeup again, I was wearing so much less that I would save myself 20 extra minutes in the morning.
3. Love the skin you’re in
This challenge really helped me learn how to love my own skin. Women today spend so much time comparing themselves to others, making stripping down to my natural beauty daunting and scary (especially the first few days). I was really nervous about how differently I would be perceived by everyone around me, but by the end of this challenge, I came to appreciate the skin my mother gave me and understand what natural beauty is.
4. My skin started to glow
People think wearing makeup doesn’t cause damage to your face, but it does! Clogging your pores with makeup causes acne, oily residue, and tired-looking skin, not to mention that wiping all that makeup away at the end of the day will cause you to get wrinkles a lot sooner in life. After just four days of not wearing makeup, my skin looked 20 times better. Pimples disappeared, my skin wasn’t blotchy, and I didn’t have bags under my eyes. I received so many compliments from complete strangers telling me how great my skin looked and my confidence soared.
5. Most guys won’t care, and if they do, you should probably swipe left
I had several friends ask me before I started this challenge if I was worried that guys wouldn’t talk to me if they saw me without makeup. No. First of all, guys should be the first to support a challenge like this. They don’t wear any makeup, and, if anything, this would even out the playing field for them. Second of all, if a guy ever tells you to put makeup on, you need to reevaluate why you’re hanging out with him. I asked a few guy friends and they all told me the same thing: “We really don’t care about makeup and if we’re going to date you, we’ll eventually see you without it on anyways.” (Way to tell it like it is, boys.)
6. You set the rules
If you decide to try this challenge, keep in mind that you’re the boss. No one can tell you what way to try this challenge; do it how you think it will benefit you! After a week, I wore mascara to work and one night when I went out with friends I wore a full face of makeup. (Sometimes a girls gotta indulge herself in some red-carpet worthy looks!) This challenge is to make you feel better about yourself, so you set the rules. You do you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
While I still contribute to keeping the cosmetic industry in business, I’ve learned many things about myself from this challenge. I don’t need a face full of makeup to feel pretty. My skin can still look flawless without a $56 cover-up. Most importantly, confidence levels will soar. If you don’t believe me, just look up the hashtag #NoMakeupChallenge on Instagram and see how so many other women are finding their natural beauty. Better yet, try it for yourself; your skin will thank you and you wont regret it!
