First off, I’m not entirely opposed to makeup. If you want to wear it, fine.

I choose not to.

But more and more, I feel pressured to wear it; I think I should wear it. Part of the pressure comes from myself—I want to be noticed more—but part of it comes from our (U.S., and somewhat world) society, saying I will be noticed more if I wear makeup. In fact, any internal pressure stems, I think, from those societal pressures with which I’ve grown up.

Makeup can make you look better. It can accentuate your eyes nicely, highlight your cheekbones, your lips, hide your wrinkles or pimples.

But U.S. society doesn’t just imply that. Look at any magazine; heck, look in a grocery store or any public place. In magazines women are always wearing makeup, even if it’s not entirely obvious. In real life you might see some women without it, but in general, most women today wear makeup. Society implies not just that makeup is desirable, but that it is in some ways necessary; that wearing makeup, at some point, is inevitable.

Some of you might be saying, “But gee, a little mascara isn’t a lot of makeup at all, and it’s not even that noticeable. I just wear it to look better.” That’s fine. In fact when I wear mascara that’s how I wear it.

But I prefer not to wear makeup at all. I mean at all--no mascara, no concealer, no foundation, nothing. I don’t wear it for many reasons:

1) I don’t want to waste time (or take time—I think I have better things to do)

2) I just don’t care

3) I don’t want to conform to societal pressures

4) I want people to like me for the way I truly am, not me with makeup.

That’s not to say me with makeup is not me; it’s saying that makeup does serve to hide, in some respect, your blemishes, or your natural beauty. Makeup makes you appear prettier than you are without it. I want people to like me for who I am naturally—with nothing on my face but skin. (And eyes, and a nose, and a mouth. You get the picture.)

Here’s the problem with not wearing makeup: people mistake me for a high schooler, all the time. Even if they don’t ask, “Oh, are you in high school?” many times the way they look at me and talk to me—their reaction when I tell them I’m in college, for example—tells me they view me as much younger than I am.

For instance, on a recent trip, I stayed overnight in a college town, and on a shuttle from our hotel was asked by a woman there with her husband and (high school-aged) son, “Are you here to visit the school?” or something like that.

“Oh, no,” I had to say, “I’m in college already,” and told her my grade.

“Oh!” she said, obviously a bit embarrassed. “I thought you might have been here to visit the college.”

“No,” I said, “I just look young,” and proceeded to make an awkward joke about how young I know I look.

It was very uncomfortable.

It’s not their fault, of course; we’re used to seeing women wearing makeup and looking older than they actually are. A real 22-year-old, to us, may actually look like a 26- or 27-year-old who’s wearing no makeup. But we call this person 22, because that is their age and we’re used to seeing them with makeup. 27 is the new 22.

I feel—better than that, I think—people aren’t taking me as seriously as they would if I wore makeup. I could be reading too much into their actions and looks, but it seems you garner more respect if you wear makeup, especially in professional situations. That being said, most days of my internship I haven’t worn makeup, and I don’t think I’ve been treated any differently.

But do I feel different? Oh yeah. I feel like people are looking at me differently; I am more confident, and feel set to be more accepted and respected, because I look my age.

Is that sad or is that sad? Without makeup I don’t look my age; it’s only with my face painted that I look my age. And maybe I’m wrong, but I think our society generally promotes this idea.

That’s a lot of pressure.

The more I’ve thought about this, the more I do want to wear makeup at certain times, especially when I’m out in public—and, I won’t lie, to attract the opposite sex. Why? Because I want to look my age. I want guys to know how old I am. Many studies say that men actually prefer women with minimal makeup. Some men say they prefer women with no makeup at all—but most women wear makeup, albeit "natural" makeup, so I think the no-makeup preference is just not very realistic.

When I wear makeup, like I said, I do wear it minimally—as in a little mascara, that's it. Still, I’m wearing it, and that’s a lot different from not wearing it at all. It’s the principle of the thing; the idea. And even a little makeup does alter my appearance.

I know makeup accentuates my eyes, and by default makes me prettier; and heck, I’d like a guy to look my way. So I wear it sometimes. Without it, in comparison to all the other girls swarming around public places, I look like I’m sixteen.

That’s the issue. In comparison. I shouldn’t compare, and I do tend to overthink things. But honestly, I’m tired of the pressure. I’m tired of people saying, “Well, yeah, a little makeup does make you look nicer.” What the heck does that mean? Maybe makeup does make you look nicer, but does that mean I have to wear it? Does that mean I’m doomed to spinster-dom if I don’t wear it? Does that mean I won’t be as respected, as a worker, as a person, as a woman, if I don’t wear it? I don’t want to be doomed to spinster-dom. I want to look good.

But I don’t care enough to do what, apparently, will really make me look good.

I have better things to do with my time—write stories, help others, work, plan my future.

But does my future hinge on whether or not I wear makeup?

It shouldn’t. And I sure hope it doesn’t.