Makeup has been consistently present in my life.

There were yearly dance shows from ages 4-13, the experimental “I’m learning makeup and hardcore trying to fit in” makeup phase during middle school, and the “natural makeup” and “no makeup makeup” phases in high school and college.

While my makeup style has evolved dramatically since my younger years, one thing remains the same. Makeup consistently functions like a crutch for boosting my self-confidence. Granted, it’s less of a crutch now, but it still impacts how I feel about my physical appearance, and this, in turn, affects my confidence level.

As I was thinking about my relationship to makeup, I decided on a whim to try going makeup-free for a full week.

Overall, it proved to be an informative time that really helped me evaluate/understand my perception of makeup and the role it now plays in my life.

Here are some key highs and lows of this week-long journey:

Table of Contents

Low: Feeling Uncomfortable with a Makeup-Free Face

This was the hardest part of the week: feeling bold enough to rock bare skin. I don’t have tons of skin issues, but my acne and scarring is pretty noticeable when I’m not wearing makeup.

Honestly, it felt scary to have my most hated skin flaws on full display for everyone to see. The first days were the worst, but it steadily improved through the week.

High: More Free Time in the Morning

My mornings no longer involved a 25 minute makeup routine, leaving me with more time to ease into the day. I’m that weird person who doesn’t like sleeping in, so I used that time to wake up and get an extra energy boost to start the day off on the right mental foot. Gotta say, my mood was noticeably happier for the week.