There is a box in my bedroom that sits on my floor gathering dust. It is full of foundation, beauty blenders, eyelash curlers, five different tubes of mascara, countless bottles of brush cleaner, makeup remover, face primer and more. This is my makeup case, it is full but I don't utilize it every day, or even every week. A younger version of myself thought that I needed makeup to feel pretty, that the acne scars and low self-esteem would just vanish under a layer of concealer and foundation toned too dark for my true skin color. I've realized that I do not need makeup to feel beautiful. I am gorgeous, unique and full of life. This beauty radiates from the inside out, not the other way around. I do not want to come off as callous or as against wearing makeup because I'm not. I wear makeup to special events, parties and days when I need something extra and it does make me feel pretty and "done-up." My point is this: I am no longer relying on makeup to replace a broken self-image or to fit in with a group of girls.

Beauty Is All About The Individual.

Each and every person has a different perception of what beauty is and what it takes for them to feel beautiful. That is completely and totally fine. I feel beautiful in skinny jeans, my favorite pair of converse and a cute blouse. I feel pretty with my hair down and natural or pulled back in braids. Other women feel beautiful wearing makeup. I have a lot of respect for women who get up every morning, detail their eyebrows, contour like a pro and vamp up their eyelashes all before I get out of bed and into the shower. Wearing or not wearing makeup is a personal choice and neither one determines beauty standards. Makeup is a creative outlet, an art-form and a way for women to express themselves. Makeup is beautiful. Natural is also beautiful.

Shaming Women For Personal Choices Is Never OK.

Women have every right to determine what they wear, who they sleep with, when they wear makeup and how much they wear. It is the place of no one, no man, nor woman, to judge another woman for her personal choices! It takes so much to get up every morning, pick out an outfit, prepare yourself for the day and to get out the door. Being bombarded with judgmental comments and looks hurts. And if you are one of those judgmental people, you should be ashamed. Judging someone for how they dress, their social activities or how much makeup they wear is equal to judging someone based on their religious affiliation or sexual preferences. These are their choices. They are beautiful.

I found my pretty, inside my old soul and sprinkled within my big brown eyes but, I also feel pretty with curled eyelashes and contoured cheekbones. I have a right to not wear makeup and I should not be judged for my decision. Others have the right to wear makeup and not be judged. Appreciate beauty in all its forms. Support one another and be kind.