My brother’s bar mitzvah. My bat mitzvah. My other brother’s bar mitzvah. Homecoming. My brother’s wedding. My best friend’s wedding. My engagement pictures. My wedding.
Those special, momentous occasions have been the only times in my life I have ever had my makeup done by a professional. Thank goodness there have been far more than eight celebrations, triumphs, ceremonies, or parties that I have attended throughout the years; also, very significant, and memorable ones.
In high school, when all my friends started experimenting with makeup, buying products, and applying them, I just did not have any interest. I sometimes wondered what the fascination was, and why someone would put in that extra effort and time that early in the morning. Then, I would go to soccer practice after school, and some of my teammates would come to training with a face lathered in foundation, mascara, eye shadow, and lip gloss. I had two main concerns. My first main concern was, “What happens if you sweat? The look of dripping black mascara down the side of your face is far less attractive than if you just did not wear it at all.” My second major concern was, “Do you ever cry? I can’t be the only person out there that breakdowns at random times in a day. Or am I? Because that, too, creates a smeared black mess all over your face.”
Now, they make sweat proof makeup! If you watched the Women’s World Cup this year, some of the biggest conversations revolved around Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan having their faces completely made up prior to competition. From their perspective, they probably believed, “Look good. Feel good. Play good.” But, why do they need makeup to think they look good? Shouldn’t being members of the United States Women’s Soccer National Team be enough? It should. But, in a world of people seeking perfection, it is not.
I have a make up bag. I use it for special occasions, nights out with friends, or if I get dressed up. But, even that application is very light and subtle. I have friends who feel compelled to make themselves up before leaving the house for the gym or the grocery store. Because, what if they run into someone they know? And, they look ugly? And, someone sees them in their most natural form? This was something I never had the desire or interest in implementing in my daily routine.
I am not sitting here saying how naturally beautiful I am and feel. I am sure, without doubt, that makeup in the morning, and reapplication throughout the day, would definitely increase my beauty appeal. Sure. I have bags under my eyes, wrinkles have developed, my face breaks out, I have blemishes on my cheeks, and my lips could probably use a pop of color every so often. However, I have always felt that this is who I am, and my imperfections on my face define me as an individual. And, I never had an authentic sensation with a face plated with makeup.
However, I can relate to the challenge of striving for perfection. Though, my focus has never been on the details of my face, it has been on my body image. My perspective on natural beauty, unfortunately, did not transfer to the pressure I placed on myself to appear thin, fit, and delicate. In fact, I can completely understand and relate to the women out there who are obsessed about their makeup routine, and constantly replenishing their make up tools, applicators, and accessories. That is exactly how I felt during the time I was anorexic. I had to keep running, eat less, and appear more beautiful. The two did not equate.
Beauty is what we are on the inside. Friendly, inclusive, kind, and generous. Not how much makeup we apply before leaving the house. Or, how many miles we run before weighing ourselves on the scale. I do look forward to future events that will allow me to have my makeup done, again, because it is fun sometimes, and those have obviously been very exciting, celebratory times.
I read Julia Roberts’s quote below, and found it extremely appropriate. I attempt to live by it everyday; though it is a challenge. As she stated on her Facebook page, which has come up on my Newsfeed, “Perfection is a disease of a nation. We overlay our faces with tons of make-up. We get botoxs and even starve ourselves to become that perfect size. We try to fix something but you can’t fix what you can’t see. It’s the soul that needs the surgery. It’s time that we take a stand. How can you expect someone else to love you if you don’t love yourself? You have to be happy with yourself. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, it’s whats on the inside that counts. Today, I want to put up a makeup-free photo. I know I have wrinkles on my skin but today I want you to see beyond that. I want to embrace the real me and I want you to embrace who you are, the way you are, and love yourself just the way you are.”