I was standing in front of the fluorescent- lit foundation section in the makeup isle at Walmart, trying to decide if I was a “light beige” or simply “beige”. I had gone out of my way just to purchase this one product. Why do I even wear makeup I thought to myself, before I dropped $30 on a non-essential item that would barely last me a month.
Ok, but why do you? I started wearing makeup regularly around age fourteen. Growing up, I had seen both my mom and older sister apply makeup daily and thought I guess that’s just what you do. I spent hours watching youtube tutorials to achieve a perfectly blended blush and flawless cat-eye. Every month, a large chunk of my small paycheck was dropped into new liners, concealers, and shadows.
It was a couple of years into my new-found routine that I began noticing how the women around me approached their beauty regimen. Some wore minimal makeup, some wore none at all. It seemed they all knew what “too much” makeup looked like and avoided it at all costs. Although no one told me explicitly, It was understood that makeup could be worn for the right or wrong reasons. But what were those reasons?
I began to worry makeup was my crutch- that I was hiding behind it. I was a generally shy and reserved person when I was younger, and even though I had grown out of it for the most part, I still felt the need to lean into anything I could to boost my confidence. Was wearing makeup an act of dishonesty? Was I not being genuine? This had to it, I thought. I was as fake as the invisible dark circles I covered every morning.
As a “test case” to myself, I decided to purposefully not apply any makeup at all one day. Previously, I had ventured to the store or somewhere of the like without makeup, or just mascara, but I had never ventured to go out without intentionally doing something to my face. I’m just going to rock the real me, was the thought that came as the door to my house slammed behind me. I drove to an early morning rehearsal for my high school musical, yawning, bare-faced and barely there. “You look tired” was the first reaction. Ok. Makes sense, they’re always used to seeing my polished appearance. As the day went on, I realized I lacked my usual energy and eagerness to work. I was repeatedly asked if I was feeling well, even though I had never felt better, and was constantly distracted my less- than- usually- done face. This didn’t feel like being genuine. Then what was?
It wasn’t until a conversation I had with a friend this past week that I put all the pieces together. My friend was explaining how she mentally prepares for her day by thinking through the people she will meet with or see. She carefully considers what she will say, and how she can leave a positive impact on each person she encounters. By doing this, she is doing her part to give her absolute best for whatever comes her way on a given day. For me, putting on makeup is how I “get in the zone”. It’s how I signal to myself it’s time to get up, get ready, and do what you have to do. When I skip this part of my routine, I am less likely to give my %100.
Makeup certainly isn’t part of every girl’s life. Some girls wear it, some girls don’t. Some spend $10 on mascara and 10 minutes applying it, some spend a fortune and an hour. Yes, it does matter why. It does matter if you are wearing it out of self-loathing, or low self-esteem. It also matters if you don’t because you don’t feel like putting in the effort to present yourself at your best. Regardless if you wear it or not, it is important to consider why.
For me, It is how I assure myself that I am ready to give it my all in everything I do. If skipping this step in my routine will likely make me lethargic, less approachable, and more apathetic, does it not make sense to put in the extra 10 seconds or 30 minutes to get to where I need to be? Me wearing makeup is the “real me”.
“ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.- Colossians 3:23 NLT
We will not always feel like giving our all, but we can do everything we can to attempt to give it our best to everyone. It is up to us to do what we have to in order to be our best wherever we are, to give our %100 to the people around us, and in doing so, give our best to God in everything we do.