Ever since I can remember, I have been applying makeup to myself. It all started with dance recitals at a young age. My mom would apply my winged eyeliner and sparkles on my eyes, your typical stage makeup for a four year old. For a while after that, I did not really have much of an interest, I mean, I was young and it was never a necessity in my life. However by 10, I was wearing thin layers of pink and silver eyeshadow on my eyes. It wasn’t much, but it was more than most girls my age. From then, it went from just eyeshadow to adding mascara then eyeliner to foundation and lastly, the whole package.

Being a girl who is filled with insecurities, I found my safe haven in makeup. It became an everyday routine; getting up early just to perfect a simple look. I knew that I shouldn’t worry about my appearance at a young age, but it became my concern and makeup seemed to be a solution. But, now, it is so much more.

Of course, I still have my insecurities, but I don’t use makeup to hide them, I use it because I enjoy doing it. I embrace my insecurities and I am working on them daily. Makeup makes me happy. I love sitting down in front of the mirror, thinking of new styles to try, bolder looks to conquer, and perfecting my wing to the sharpest it can be. Makeup has shown me how beautiful I am and it’s not by covering who I really am, but really embracing who I have become. I get to express myself in a way that I enjoy. Yeah, sometimes it may take me over an hour to do one look, but I never mind sitting there to do it. Sitting myself in front of the mirror, going from a naked face to contoured, has taught me to love both sides.

I don’t do my makeup for others. I constantly get hassled for doing it, and trust me, I get it, I may seem extra by doing it just to run up the street, but it is how I feel most comfortable. I choose to go out with a full face of makeup because it makes me happy and frankly, that is all that matters. I don’t expect some people to understand my love for makeup, but I expect others to respect it. I will take a little longer to wing my eyeliner. I will take longer to blend my eyeshadow. I will take a little longer to set my face with setting spray. But, I make sure to do it on my own time because I get that it’s a lot.

Finding my happiness at the flick of a brush or a glide of a mascara wand is my own personal joy. I do not know where I would be without it, and I know that may sound ridiculous, but it is so true. Makeup is something I love to do and I do it for me. Not for anyone else.