I have been wearing makeup for a long time now, but it was primarily stage makeup for dance competitions and shows I was in. I started wearing makeup regularly at the age of 13. It started off with a black pencil on my waterline everyday in junior high school. Then you add a lip gloss, then a black line on top of your eyelid makes all the difference. Before you know it, you are on the Sephora website everyday looking for the next big trend whether it be brow products or the brightest highlighter it blinds you. Many people think that girls spend all this money on these products to make themselves look better, but there is more than that.

Makeup may cover up the imperfections that we have on our faces so our selfies for Instagram get a number that satisfies us but I can easily say that the 30-45 minutes it takes me to put my makeup on is the best part of my day. You get to become an artist with what you can do on your eyes with liners and shadows. You mix colors together to get the perfect foundation color. You can test any look out and then decide you don't like it and take it all off.

That's the beauty of makeup, it all comes off. Nothing is permanent. You may like blue lipstick one day and then decide you aren't that bold so you go back to the nudes you wear everyday. Makeup is personalized. No rules except your own. Makeup has become such a huge part of pop culture recently that it doesn't matter who you are, it is okay to wear makeup. Makeup YouTubers share their thoughts on products and how to get the perfect contour along with other looks. All around the world, people watch these videos and aspire to get looks just like them and the products they use.

I wear makeup not for anyone else but myself. I wake up early and make the effort for the way I look for me, not for anyone else. Granted, what makes me feel better throughout the day is when I get a compliment from a coworker on how my makeup looks, but that isn't what I'm striving for. I do it for me and my self-confidence. Beauty may come from the inside out but what on the outside is what you see in the mirror, and you should be confident and happy with what you see everyday and if makeup helps you do that, then do it!