Society has set up the standard for women to put on makeup in order to look presentable in public. It’s common to hear women talk about starting their days early to have enough time to put on their makeup. But what if you don’t want to wear it? In recent years, there has been more of an open dialogue about makeup and going barefaced. The decision to step out of your home without makeup may not seem like much, but in a society that pushes for certain standards, it can be seen as a rebellious act.

When I step onto the train, I will occasionally catch a glance of myself on a window. I see my uneven skin tone, my dark circles and my unfilled eyebrows. Of course, I then look at the men around me on the train. They are either clean shaven or sporting facial hair. There isn’t any particular pressure for them to look presentable apart from their clothes. But women have to go the extra mile in order to be socially accepted.

My mother doesn’t wear makeup. She will perhaps, dabble in it when she goes to a party. But on a regular basis, she doesn’t wear anything on her face. Like millions of other women, I look up to my mother and all she has done for our family. Although I have two great parents, my mother, in particular, has taught my three sisters and I the importance of being independent women. She didn’t forbid us from using makeup but she also didn’t encourage it. My mother has always told my sisters and I that we are beautiful in our natural skin.

Personally, I don’t have the energy or patience to put on makeup. But I admire the people around me who choose to do so. They are like walking artwork – with their own unique signature styles. Applying makeup is a skill that I have knowledge about but choose not to practice. It’s a skill that society commonly undermines and associates with women only. But anyone can wear makeup proudly.

As a women in her early twenties, I do think about when I will be forced to wear makeup. There may come a point where I will no longer have the liberty to say “No,” and simply give in. But I’m not there. Although I do feel the pressure, I haven’t given into the idea that makeup will be my gateway card to social acceptance, by the everyday person and also, by the opposite sex.

Whether you decide to wear makeup or not, you should do it for yourself and no one else. This mindset can be applied to many areas in your life. It’s important to practice self-care in whichever form you choose to do that in. Makeup can be therapeutic to apply and the lack of it can also be a form of rebellion.