I Don’t Wear Makeup & I Love How Freeing It Is

I Don’t Wear Makeup & I Love How Freeing It Is ©iStock/eugenelucky

Most women can remember being little girls, watching their mothers or older sisters applying makeup each morning. It was fascinating, and we looked forward to the day when we’d be old enough to do it, too. But then that day comes and we realize, holy crap, this actually sucks. Or at least I did, and I can proudly say I don’t wear makeup for several good reasons.

  1. It only takes me 10 minutes to get ready to leave for the day.Five of those minutes are me brushing my teeth, washing my face and moisturizing, and the other five are me getting dressed and getting the rest of my stuff together. And then boom, I’m done. That’s right. I don’t even use concealer. Or foundation. I’m actually not even sure what the difference between those is.
  2. I save a ton of money.All that other stuff like fancy creams and hair products are expensive. It’s no wonder being a “broke girl” is a thing. And once you get started using makeup, you start noticing when all the new colors and shades come out, and then you want those too. Soon, you’ve run out of space on your dresser, and you wonder why. Screw that. I’d rather spend my money on food. Or booze, for that matter.
  3. I look younger.What do teenagers do when they want to get into the clubs at night? They put on makeup, because it makes them look older. But at a certain point in your mid-late 20s, you kind of start wanting to look younger. I guess it would explain why people keep asking me which high school I go to, but I feel like it’s better than being asked if my sister is actually my daughter.
  4. I look more natural.Have you ever seen those weird celebrity baby pictures of babies who haven’t even been born yet? For some reason, people think it’s okay to photoshop makeup onto them, and they start looking more like freak beauty pageant kindergartners than newborns. Not that I would look like that if I wore makeup, but I think about it.
  5. I never need to worry about my eyeliner running.Which I hear is a pretty big problem, especially when it’s raining, or you’re watching a sad movie, or a bug flies into your eye.
  6. Guys still hit on me regardless.If you think guys will stop coming up to you just because you aren’t wearing makeup, think again. Every single date I’ve been on, I’ve been totally makeup-less. Honestly, I don’t even think many guys notice. They’re probably more concerned with how they look than whether you’re wearing blue eye shadow.
  7. And weirdos still stare.I’ve been out in sweatpants (the baggy kind), frizzy hair, and my bitch face without having showered for two days, and weirdos will still say stuff when I walk past them. It’s like nothing could ever disgust them. I’d take it as a compliment, if only it weren’t so goddamn creepy.
  8. I’m not obsessed with looking in the mirror.In the bathroom, I just do my business, wash my hands, glance up to make sure my hair is where it normally is, and leave. I don’t take every opportunity to catch a glimpse of myself in window reflections either to make sure my makeup is still okay and my eyelashes are intact. I hear there’s nothing worse than a drooping eyelash.
  9. I’m never embarrassed about being seen in the light, in the morning, sick, or off guard.You’ve seen that episode of That 70’s Showwhen Kelso visits Jackie when she’s sick in bed, right? I’d imagine he’s not the only guy who would react like that (though I’m sure he’s still an exaggeration). But I do know how uncomfortable we feel when we wake up next to our date and haven’t yet hit the bathroom to clean ourselves up. But in my case, at least all I need to do is rub those sleepies out of my eyes and smile.
  10. I’m completely confident about how I look.I don’t ever think that I need to hide my true face behind any kind of product, because I’m totally comfortable in the body I’m in. I know makeup can enhance our features, but I don’t want to get by in life on my looks. If I get anywhere, I want it to be because of my personality, or my natural beauty. So, I guess that’s the main reason I don’t wear makeup. But saving time and money is still pretty awesome.
Chelsey is a freelance writer in NYC. She's pretty normal by today's standards, or at least that's what her mother tells her.
close-link
close-link
close-link
close-link