First things first, to answer the headline: nothing. Nothing happened, except I gained self-confidence and began to love my face in all of its eye-bag and acne glory. Now, to how I got there. Recently, I was reading an article noting that women who spend more time “grooming” themselves often receive more promotions and/or a higher income. It is no secret that society has a variety of double standards for women, from paying women who wear more makeup more money to just receiving decent treatment in a retail job for wearing makeup. What is even crazier is how attached some of us become to our makeup. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to shame people who wear makeup – you do you – but society's obsession with women who wear makeup is a little out of hand.
Last semester, I spent three months abroad in Costa Rica. With limited packing space and the knowledge that most of my time would be spent outside in a field, I decided to leave my makeup at home. The only thing that came with me was some mascara. If you know me, then you know I have some bad acne and acne scars, so to say I was scared leaving behind my concealer was a little bit of an understatement. After washing off my concealer my first night in Costa Rica, I was horrified to see my blotchy, red skin. What would everyone else think?
Even though I, more or less, felt ugly the first few days, after a few weeks, my face looked pretty normal. The redness went away, probably because I was touching my face less. I got used to how my eyes looked without eyeliner and eye shadow. Halfway through the trip, I, at one point, actually liked how I looked without makeup. (I know what society is thinking, the horror of a girl having self-confidence!) Whether it was from my new environment in Costa Rica, less stress or just not putting concealer on every day, my acne actually cleared up a little.
My first day back home I found my makeup bag sitting on the counter where I had left it prior to leaving. I rummaged inside and put on what I would have normally worn: primer, concealer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and some lipstick. The entire day, my face felt clogged, and I kept on forgetting I could not rub my eyes. Since that first day, I haven’t really worn makeup. Maybe some mascara here or there, but not much else. It now feels natural to leave the house with nothing on my face, even on bad acne days. I refuse to let someone treat me differently because I’m enjoying my natural beauty. My not wearing makeup does not mean I am any less “groomed” or that I’m not taking care of myself. I am actually taking care to ensure that I feel comfortable in my own skin, with and without makeup. So, go on, try it for a day or two, and learn to love your skin.
