The Bare Truth: 3 Reasons Why I Don’t Wear Makeup

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I don’t wear makeup everyday. In fact I can count the number of times I have worn makeup this year on one hand.

This wasn’t always the case. When I was a teenager I had an obsession with wearing makeup. This was partially due to the rule my parents had set for me: No makeup until I was 15. Now for a teenage girl, this felt like a lifetime away. When the day finally arrived that I was permitted to wear makeup, I didn’t go a day without. I had too much lost time to “make up” for.

Fast forward through ten years of experimenting with makeup. I finally found what worked for me, and I preferred a natural look. My makeup ritual involved less and less. I eventually stopped wearing makeup everyday, and would only put it on when I went to work.

Now fast forward again to the present, and it’s a rare occasion to see me with any makeup on. I am perfectly content without. Honestly, when I do put on makeup, I don’t feel like me and would rather go without.

bare skin makeup free

3 Reasons Why I Don’t Wear Makeup:

Time-saver

I would spend a minimum of 15-2o minutes every work day to put on my makeup. Then there was another 10 minutes at night washing it all off. Now adding all of that time up, that is a total of 30 minutes out of the 24 hour day. As a mom, those 30 minutes are precious. I have used that time for “me,” extra snuggles with the little one, or even more sleep time.

Comfortable in My Own Skin

I used to mask everything with my makeup. Any little blemish or imperfection I would see on me would be concealed. I wanted to come across as perfect as much as possible. In a way it was a security blanket for my insecurities. My big insecurity was the scar of the left side of my cheek. Now I see those imperfections as part of me and do not have any desire to mask them.

Clearer Skin

I have extremely sensitive skin. My skin easily dries out when seasons are changing and I am prone to getting acne. Even with oil-free makeup and religiously washing my face, nothing was helping my skin. Eventually I just got tired of trying to get that blemish-free look, because it was only getting worse. Now after almost five years of wearing little to no makeup, my skin is clearer than it has ever been.

While I do understand this look isn’t for everyone, remember you are beautiful the way you are. As Taylor Swift has said, “Happiness and confidence are the prettiest things you can wear.”

Have you ever tried going bare?


 

Angelica
Angelica was raised in West Liberty just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Iowa City. After getting married to her high school sweetheart and living in the D.C. metro area, they decided it was not where they wanted to raise a family, and moved back to Iowa in 2012. They welcomed their daughter nine months after moving back. Then in 2018 added a yellow lab to their family. Angelica enjoys running, reading, and binge watching shows with her husband. She loves Disney, Reese's, and being a mom.

5 COMMENTS

  1. No makeup for me. I’m thankful to work in an office where a few people wear only the bare minimum of makeup, so I don’t stand out for it too much.

    Time, money, and just don’t care. If men don’t have to make their faces look perfect at work, why should I?

  2. I love this! I also wore a lot of makeup as a teenager, in an effort to cover awful acne. Now in my thirties I still have acne sometimes and hperpigmentation left over from pregnancies but wear almost no makeup and only use natural skincare. It’s difficult for me to be okay with my skin issues, but they’re honest and anyway, makeup doesn’t help that much. Thanks for the post!

  3. I appreciate this perspective but as someone who likes to apply and wear makeup I have ask you please not judge women like me! I had bad acne as a teen and college girl, so I used makeup to make me feel more confident. When I married at 30 I sometimes put makeup on after washing my face so my new husband wouldn’t see my scars and blemishes. Now I’m 36 and have 2 kids and less time to care for myself. But I still prioritize my basic 5 minute makeup am routine because it makes me feel good. I may look “made up” at the gym or at carpool pickup but I am happier and more confident this way. Please don’t judge me!

  4. Absolutely nothing about this article came off as judgy.

    I also wear makeup everyday to even out my skin but love leaving my face bare on the weekends to let it breathe. My skin feels so much better without makeup.

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