To pre-teen me and makeup,
I can imagine your first trip to the store to buy makeup -- you're walking through the makeup aisles as a nervous pre-teen looking for the perfect mascara that will make your lashes long and luscious [but not like you tried too hard, right?]. Covergirl? Maybelline? So many options! It's the first of many makeup products you're bound to buy in the future, so it has to be the best, or your friends may not think you're with the trends...
Your fascination with makeup started at too young of an age. You were naive and impressionable, but most of all, eager to please others and look your best. A simple swipe of mascara at 12 years old turns into a full mask of concealer, powder, blush, etc [the list is endless] by your senior year of high school. Guilty of going full "cake face" with a heavy foundation every day as a teenager, I now realize the power of makeup is not through quantity -- but quality.
I look back at your old Facebook pictures in pure horror merely based on your makeup "look." At the time, you thought it looked great, and you were probably proud of your new-found makeup skills [thanks, YouTube tutorials!]. Now, according to a study by the Renfrew Center Foundation, over 50 percent of women who wear makeup began wearing it at 14-16 years old.
Although some of your friends may have put on makeup to only "highlight" their natural beauty, others, like you, packed on the products to cover insecurities. As a college student with more confidence and a bit of knowledge, I have a few realizations about beauty and makeup --
1. Makeup won't fix your problems.
Sure, a few dots of concealer and a bright pink lipstick may distract others from seeing your acne scars and eczema-covered skin, but in the end, the makeup only makes your problems worse. Go loose on the makeup and let your skin breathe. Everyone else has just as many skin issues as you -- forget your worries.
2. Makeup is fun.
I still love to get ready in the mornings by applying makeup. It's a way to relax before a hectic day, and I always feel more prepared and motivated afterward. I always thought, "I can do anything with my makeup on!" Don't forget about the fun side of makeup, and if that means lessening your daily look to really make a statement another day, do it. Makeup shouldn't become a daily chore.
3. Makeup does not define your beauty.
Ahh -- the biggest lesson of all. It may take some time, but you will learn to accept your natural beauty. Ignore the picture-perfect people on social media -- they're real, too [even if it doesn't seem like it]. Soon you will find people who love your small imperfections, obsess over your small tooth gap and praise your bushy eyebrows.
Listen up, girl. You have a long road of lessons to learn. Makeup only gets in the way.
Love,
Future you.