About a year ago I decided I wanted to stop wearing makeup. For some people, this might not be the biggest deal. I know several girls who are makeup free daily. However, I also know several lovely ladies who will not leave the house without at least their foundation and mascara applied. One year ago me would have definitely fallen into the second category.

One day I started to notice that I would feel like I needed makeup. It wasn’t just an option anymore. I would go out without anything on my face and feel like everyone was staring at me and my dark circles, acne scars, and pimples. I realized that this was a problem and I wanted to make a change. I felt like it was more important to have inner beauty and confidence rather than rely on makeup.

I want to say that there is nothing wrong with wearing makeup everyday! I just started to notice my self-esteem drop when I wasn't wearing it.

So, the 21-day challenge was born! I decided to commit to three weeks of wearing no makeup. The 21-days were definitely eye-opening. Here’s my experience and why I might do it again.

Week 1:

The struggle was real! I felt really self-conscious and had a lot of anxiety about how I looked. I had friends tell me that the pimple I was stressing about was hardly noticeable and my acne scars didn’t really stand out as much as I thought. However, I was told I looked a bit tired (at least no one thought I was sick!).

Week 2:

I started to realize that I could clear my skin and reduce my tiredness if I just took a bit better care of myself. I introduced more veggies, water with lemon, and added more sleep to my schedule. Within a few days I started to see that just doing these small things really changed how I felt inside and out.

Week 3:

By week three I started to feel a lot more confident with myself. No one really cared if I wore makeup or not.

Here's what I learned:

First of all, no one really cares! Be you and let your inner beauty shine through. Some of my close friends and family did mention that I looked a bit more tired than usual, but they never said I looked ugly or how I should put on makeup.

Taking care of yourself is the best way to clear your skin and reduce those puffy eyes. Drink a lot of water, get your rest, and wash your face.

The last thing I learned was that I have a favorite camera angle on Snapchat.

Now it has been one year!

So now, I don't feel like I have to wear makeup. I do like a natural everyday look, but if I don’t have time to put on some makeup or I’m just running a few errands, I don’t stress about it. I would really suggest this challenge for anyone who feels like they need to depend on makeup instead of just enjoying it.