PUT. THE. FOUNDATION. BOTTLE. DOWN. IT'S TIME TO BARE ALL.When I heard that my blogging friend Megan (from Thumbelina Lillie) had created #ProjectBareAll this week, I knew that I had to get involved.Her goal is to raise awareness of how we need to embrace the skin we are in, and to not hide away under what for some could potentially be layers and layers of foundation.
Naturally, my skin story is unique and different to everyone else's, but what can unite us all together is the way in which we can 'embrace the face' and feel confident in ourselves.
In those cringeful early teenage years my makeup was as unpredictable as Tyler Oakley's hair color. I had no idea what I was doing with regards to what I was putting on my face *like most of us at that age* but I slapped it on nonetheless because that is what everyone else seemed to be doing. I was constantly battling with different shades of foundation (all of which were too dark for me) and applying layers of black mascara and thick black eyeliner. This was also at a point when my school actually didn't allow makeup for younger students (i.e years 7, 8 and 9) and I remember me and my friends sneakily applying foundation whenever we had the chance...even in the middle of lessons! It just seemed to me that more was more and more was good. Obviously I look back now and realize that this is not the case at all.
Confidence with makeup and going makeup-less seems to definitely come with age. As I have got older, I've become more introspective and have had a lot of time to think about who I am, who matters to me and what I deem to be most important. Wearing makeup every single day now does not appear as any of those things. I choose not to wear foundation in summer, unless I'm doing something fancy. In the later part of secondary school I would regularly turn up with no makeup on what-so-ever. I can happily go out and do things without any makeup on and still feel happy.
Don't get me wrong, I still have moments when I think "Why did you have to run into me with no makeup on I look like crap today?" but instead of fretting about it, I can't help but laugh a little.
Life is always 100% easier if you do not take yourself so seriously.
I wasn't properly interested in makeup until about a year ago, when I sheepishly dipped my un-painted toenails into the world of beauty, an outlet that I naturally became aware of as I explored the world of blogging. I feel myself being slowly converted; I even have makeup utensils now instead of just dipping my finger in an eye shadow pot and smearing it across my eyelid. When I do wear it, I look forward to applying makeup, and spend a copious amount of time picking what eye shadow to wear (my friends can vouch for this one; I'm always the last one to be ready for a night out.)
In addition to this however, it is only through being taught about makeup that I began to appreciate it more, in the same way that you can only appreciate your skin and the 'natural you' more if you actually take the time to embrace and educate yourself about YOU.
For young girls especially there seems to be a big urge on wanting to wear makeup and in the process, completely hurdling past the part where you adopt a skin routine that suits you and finding out about your skin.
What has being brought to my attention is the unequal makeup to skincare ratio that is apparent online in the YouTube world and in the blogging world. More and more girls seem to fixate on makeup tutorials and how to change their faces rather than being educated on how to look and feel comfortable in their own skin.
I would strongly recommend any young girl to get more excited about skin care products rather than different foundations (remember dream matte mousse, girls? LOL) because that is where it has to develop from. Randomly, some of my memories from early school days is of people feeling my face one lunchtime because it was so soft. That's because I cleansed, toned and moisturised every morning. Ah thank you.
I have always thought that skin care is far more important than makeup.
To adopt a quote from Sex and the City:
"Maybe our skin is our soul mate, and makeup is just something to have fun with".
Having a good skin care routine is the bedrock of beauty. Get that sorted and everything else will fall into place.
So I have rambled on about embracing YOU. But what happens for the people out there who find that a little bit harder to do?
*OMG that rhymes*
For you, I say this:
Baring all has to begin from the within. Megan talks about this in her blog post and does a better job at explaining how to do so, but I wanted to add something.
Luckily, I have always been predominantly surrounded by like minded people, who I feel 100% comfortable with and can be myself around 100% of the time. I think that is why I have no bother going makeup less most days and happily leaving the house with eye bags a go-go. So, if you are sat reading and thinking "no, I am not surrounded by that type of person", then I think you should perhaps re-evaluate who you actually spend your time with. For some of you that might not be so easy; certain situations in life, such as school, keeps you near people that you may not like, and who may intimidate you in some way. But you must try your very hardest to not care what others think of you, because at the end of the day, if you don't fancy wearing foundation then goddammit you shouldn't have to wear it!
So, this is me, facially naked on the internet.
In the spirit of this piece, I have no make up on whatsoever, no editing, no filter...just me, looking like a 12 year old when I am actually 18.
Like all of us, I have imperfections that I would rather live without. I get spots, I have really vainy eyelids, I have an uneven skin tone and a scar on the right side of my face that was a result of a child hood accident (that sounds very traumatic, I promise it wasn't... I fell out of my bed)
But that is me, and even though yes, I wish my eyelashes were longer and my eyebrows were not crazy...
..."Let's all feel beautiful in the skin we're in and show the world how confident us women can be and that we don't need make-up to feel good" - Thumbelina Lillie.
To co-inside with this project, there is a book written by Bobbi Brown entitled 'Beauty Rules', which I strongly recommend as a good read for anyone who loves makeup and skincare.
You can get involved with Megan's campaign by posting the hash tag #ProjectBareAll on Twitter and Instagram and uploading a makeup-less selfie.
Thank you so much for reading
Outfit post tomorrow!
Now, GO AND CLENSE YA FACE!
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