I did not grow up in a household that cared a lot about beauty, but from as long as I could remember I was obsessed with it. I can recall fond memories of finding my mom's free gift with purchase makeup bags and applying the unused neon coral, icy pink, or shimmering coral I found within it.

My mother is no-nonsense when it comes to makeup. Her makeup -if she wears any- consists of a coat of mascara and a swipe of lipstick. I can remember her most used color from my childhood: Revlon's "Rum Raisin." In 7th grade, I saw how the older girls would outline their eyes in jet black liner and I was instantly envious but my mom said my eyes were too pretty for eyeliner.

By 8th grade, I finally got her to let me wear it. My mother begrudgingly agreed but insisted it was brown. I would apply my makeup on the bus every morning in the fifteen-minute commute, finally finishing my look with a thick line of chocolate brown liner in the waterline. Flash forward nine years and three years of being a VIB Rouge at Sephora (the highest level in their rewards program), and I am putting a full face of makeup on before my eight am class.

I eventually through multiple errors figured out what looks good on me. I get asked on a frequent basis why I always put makeup on before I go out. I love my face; I'm not trying to sound vain but I think I look great without makeup on. I choose to put on my ten step makeup routine every morning because I feel it. I'm not insisting that every girl gets up a half hour early to put makeup on because it's their choice, just like it's my choice to do it.

Applying perfect winged eyeliner is pretty much the equivalence of taking a double shot of espresso for me. It requires precision, focus, and steady hands to do, something that can't be done while half asleep. The thing is: we need to stop questioning what girls do with their bodies. If a girl wants to shave her hair off, wear glow in the dark green lipstick, or put eyeliner on at 6:30 in the morning, let her do it.

The makeup I apply to my face is not hiding anything (well maybe some dark circles, this is college), it's not changing how I see myself, it's not trying to impress someone, or making me wish I had thin black lines around my eyelids. Before you ask me why I think I need to constantly wear makeup, also consider I don't think that at all. I love myself, wings and all.