With a little help from Beyoncé’s hit, ***Flawless, and some encouragement from social media stars, forgoing a full face of makeup has slowly but surely become more popular over the past few years. Instagram, arguably the most visual of the core social media networks, is certainly famous for bringing complex looks and pro techniques (contouring, highlighting, baking, and the works) to the general public.
On the other hand, it’s also been a major platform for showing the “I woke up like this” side of the beauty world.
And that’s wonderful. It’s great that celebrities like Alicia Keys and Demi Lovato aren’t afraid to bare their faces in public and on social media, showing the world that makeup isn’t a necessity. Now, before we delve further into the sticky (and powdery and glittery and satin-matte-finished) landscape of modern beauty, let me just say that neither heavy nor non-existent makeup is wrong or better than any other option on the beautifully diverse spectrum of beauty. I myself am a makeup lover who loves a full-on, 15-or-more-steps process for makeup just as much as I appreciate a bare face every now and then to allow my skin to breathe.
I’m not at all here to criticize anyone’s makeup decisions, or lack thereof; rather, I’m here to remind others of the tricks and techniques that are used in the behind-the-scenes stages of many (not all) “I woke up like this” looks.
It’s certainly plausible that the celebrities, renowned beauty gurus, and other mere mortals who post such pictures truly did wake up with dewy skin, bright eyes, and perfect hair. Some people are genuinely blessed with good genes, and there should be no reason to resent them. But remember, it’s not fair to compare yourself — bedhead, bleary eyes, and all — to someone else’s morning photoshoot.
Very few beauty bloggers and similarly Instagram-famous figures own up to the procedures and standing appointments required to create that cosmetic-free, yet still camera-ready face. Beauty blogger Gina Shkeda, on the other hand, took to Twitter this past March in a very public, honest way to remind a fan that her “natural” selfies still involve “micro bladed brows, lash extensions...and lip injections”.
Even though I was subconsciously aware of the steps that many beauty gurus take to polish even their makeup-free selves, Shkeda’s refreshing authenticity gave me a much-needed jolt of reality. It can be so easy to take the carefully curated and filtered images that inundate our social media feeds at face value, especially when they lack the overt glitter, dramatic lashes, and beaming cheekbones that often populate other Instagram posts. Remember that dedicated skincare routines, frequent appointments, plastic surgery, and extensions — to name a few — can oftentimes play a role in the primping and polishing stages before makeup even comes near a beauty icon’s face.
It’s okay to show effort. I know that Crest Whitestrips, regular face masks, and monthly appointments with my threading lady are all my best friends when it comes to feeling comfortable with my own outward appearance. Not all of us were graced with Beyonce’s natural beauty, and even she usually gets touched up, edited, and polished to perfection before she gets plastered all over billboards, posters, and social media posts.
The way I see it, you did wake up flawless because that’s the way you were made. And there's no shame in keeping up with your own routine of treatments and procedures to make sure that you feel that way as often as possible. Even if it takes zero or 20 steps before you feel fully confident in stepping outside, that’s your own decision. And that’s beautiful, too.
