Tried It!: I Went 21 Days Without Wearing Makeup

I wear makeup pretty much every day, except on the weekends. I’ve always felt a need for my face to breathe. I sometimes get frustrated with the ‘extra’ step, particularly if it results in me being late. While I love to enhance my features and do consider makeup an art in and of itself, I wondered, for me, when it became a life necessity vs a luxury. Or had I simply become addicted to palettes and manic for mascara?
It takes 21 days to break a habit. Could I forgo foundation for an au natural glow? “Easy,” I confidently told Keyaira, “I look fine. It just makes me look even better.” I could go three weeks without craving a contour.

According to this study, 44% of women link not wearing makeup to unattractiveness. Not only does makeup simply make these women feel prettier or more confident; but also that their natural faces were somehow less attractive when not covered in concealer. And this issue is beginning younger and younger: 17% of 12-14-year-olds wear makeup every day and over 60% of teens fall asleep in their makeup at least once a week.

After taking a stand against makeup shaming, I wanted to embrace my face and celebrate my natural self. There had been a time I never wore makeup: could I go and do everything and still maintain my security and total self-confidence? Loving oneself is a process and in order to experience growth, you have to push outside your comfort zone.
So I pushed.
Day 1:
I woke up and hopped in the shower. I was ready 20 minutes before it was time for me to leave, which allowed me an opportunity to have some tea at home and meditate. I must admit, I liked having the extra time and made note, that if needed, I could now sleep in an extra 20 minutes in the morning. Yessss.
Day 3:
I broadcast daily and while I don’t always wear makeup, frequently, I do. All I used was Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel moisturizer which kept my skin hydrated and healthy. Everyone noticed, but it wasn’t in a bad way. Some exclaimed, “You are glowing!” The first few days I apologized for NOT wearing makeup. “I’m doing an experiment for Hello Beautiful,” I would sheepishly explain. Why was I apologizing for my natural beauty?
Because makeup is often the necessity. Women feel pressured to wear makeup in the workplace. Without it, they fear of looking unprofessional. “You look so tired,” one of my co-workers commented incredulously. There was no color-correcting concealer to subdue the bags under my eyes from merely 4 hours of sleep the night prior.
Day 7:
Not even a hint of lipgloss on a date. “I could wake up to this,” he flirted. I blushed and enjoyed the fact that I could kiss freely, without fearing I might make him look like a clown.
Week 2:
“Come to this art event with me!” I love art and instantly agreed. It was in the seconds after, I realized, that I was attending sans makeup. Upon arrival, I walked confidently to the front of the line. Looking the doorman directly in the eye, I requested access. He looked at me, slightly puzzled amongst the high heels, tight dresses, and pretty painted faces. He removed the red rope and said nothing.
One thing I noticed from my makeup hiatus is that my on fleekness suffered. For me, it wasn’t as fun to wear a creative outfit, if I couldn’t accent it with a cat-eye or a bold lip. It’s like having a cake, but refraining from adding icing.
Since my outfits were not motivating me, I decided to pamper my skin. I got a facial.
Week 3:
Any makeup f*cks or feelings of insecurity I felt in week 1 or 2 are gone. I’m not sure when the change happened, but I began looking in the mirror and not only accepting my bare face…but loving it!
I felt carefree. It was like baring yourself to the world and daring them to say something.
My skin was estatic. I couldn’t remember the last time I went that long without nothing and my endo decided it was time to shine. My skin looked healthier. It was brighter, held in more moisture, softer, and no breakouts.
Some of our makeup learnings are counterproductive. When you breakout, your skin is trying to release toxins within your clogged pores. Recommendations to add concealer are borderline laughable. Yes, I understand if you have a big day or important meeting, wear the concealer. Just going to work or it’s a regular day? Let your skin breathe! It’s trying to vomit up the toxins and you are feeding your skin complicated formulas when it’s sick. You don’t feed your body sushi when you have the flu, so keep it simple during a breakout. Witch Hazel, ladies, not concealer.
Just like our bodies need a cleanse, our faces do as well. I will definitely do a makeup cleanse on a more regular basis. As of now, I’ve started “no makeup Wednesdays.” My face will get a break mid-week. There is power in going outside of my comfort zone and not wearing makeup and there’s power in the surge of confidence that I get when I’m rocking a perfected cateye.
Ladies: how do you feel when you do not wear makeup?