While men take a quick shower and head out the door, women often need makeup to feel “presentable”.
I love makeup, it’s my passion and I love the way it brings out many facets of my personality. But we all have days, especially in today’s context, when we don’t want to invest time and energy in applying foundation, we don’t feel like applying even a coat of mascara. And on those days, we most likely don’t feel attractive. Most likely, our self-confidence drops and insecurities arise.
Why don’t we feel beautiful without makeup? After all, makeup products don’t totally change our features, they just highlight what’s already there.
Spending too much time on Instagram
Unfortunately, I’ve found that scrolling “unlimited” on Instagram affects my mental health and even my self-image. There’s so much beauty out there – from beautifully arranged spaces, to unreal beautiful women – that I come to believe that this is the standard, that this is “what it takes” to be part of an exclusive “club” that will never give me access.
Because I don’t and never will look like those people. And I won’t go on their vacations, I won’t taste their food. It’s an impossible standard that prevents us from seeing reality: most people are like us, they don’t look perfect all the time, they don’t drive expensive cars and they don’t spend 80% of their lives on exotic holidays. Plus, we forget that even the most beautiful people on Instagram are perfected by filters and photo editing apps.
While it seems too drastic to give up Instagram altogether, I think it’s time to become more selective with the content we consume and limit our time spent on the app.
You compare yourself to women who “wear no makeup” and still look cute
It’s now trendy for celebrities and influencers to post skin photos where they’re not wearing makeup, but what do you know, they still look like you would never look in the morning when you wake up or on your way to the supermarket.
This creates a big discrepancy between how you see yourself and how you see them, but you have to remember that everyone has dark circles, pores and the odd acne breakout. If you don’t see them in that photo, it does NOT mean they don’t exist. Yes, celebrities and influencers post photos without makeup, but they post those where the light is great, the angle is flattering, etc. Plus, many of them use filters or even correct with a little concealer for certain imperfections.
Try not to compare your 100% no-makeup face with that of celebrities who beautify themselves with some “artifice”. Appreciate other women’s beauty, but not in a way that overshadows your own.
You don’t have a consistent skin care routine
When you take care of your skin every day, you see dramatic improvements and become proud of the results, but also of the way you look when you don’t wear makeup. Because you know how hard you’ve worked to get rid of acne or pigmentation spots, you can’t wait to show your skin as it is, without layers of foundation hiding its natural beauty.
It’s true: a consistent beauty routine will give you more confidence and, more importantly, help you feel good about the way your skin looks. It’s not enough to apply skincare products with miracle ingredients only when you remember: the most important thing is to stick to a routine, no matter how simple. A gentle cleansing gel, a vitamin C serum and a moisturiser can be enough to see a change for the better – as long as you use them morning and night, every day.
