Since I was a young girl, around the age of ten, I have been wearing makeup. What started out as lip gloss and blush slowly evolved to eyeliner and mascara. Although I got a bit of an early start, other girls gradually caught up and before I knew it, doing your makeup became the norm. As I grew up, so did my collection of cosmetic products and my application skills. Makeup has always been a friend of mine, which is why I despise the trending false accusations of why girls wear so much makeup. Nowadays, girls are shamed for using beauty products with comments like:

• “You must be insecure if you have to wear that much makeup.”
• “You look so pretty without makeup, why do you wear it?”
• “Girls like you give guys trust issues.”

Excuse me? If you think my eyelids are naturally gold and glittery, you have some other issues besides trust.

So to put the rumors to rest, here are some of the REAL reasons why we wear makeup.

1. Confidence. Everyone has issues with their body. Mine happened to be acne. I developed it at a young age and it was very embarrassing for me. I remember purchasing concealer, applying it, and being shocked about the magic I had just performed. Seriously, my acne vanished right before my eyes. What used to prevent me from being sociable disappeared when I wore makeup. Some believe that makeup gives you false confidence, but I would have to disagree. I am currently a very outgoing and approachable person regardless of if I have a full face of makeup on or none at all. I still have acne. Makeup gave me the push I needed to be bold, but that is all me and not the products on my skin.
2. It’s fun. I genuinely enjoy applying makeup. Trying out new products, creating different looks, watching tutorials online… I love it all! I still cannot get over the fact that you can fill in your eyebrows and look like an entirely different person. It’s crazy. Whenever I have an excuse to wear more makeup than usual, whether it is for Halloween or a party, I get legitimately excited.
3. It enhances your natural beauty. Makeup does not hide your beauty, but rather enhance it. If you have gorgeous eyes, a little mascara makes them standout. If you have full lips, adding lipstick puts all the attention on them. All girls are beautiful without makeup and they are just as beautiful with it. If you like the way that you look, whether it be bare faced or smoky eyed, that’s all that matters.

These are just some of the many reasons why makeup is amazing. What’s wrong with giving people confidence, body peace, and something fun to do anyway? So before you criticize someone for their cosmetics, consider why they chose to wear them in the first place. If the way they look makes them happy, you should be happy for them.