A Complete Guide To Accepting & Loving Yourself Without Makeup
Makeup is a marvelous tool that can be used as a way of expression, a confidence booster, and an art form. While makeup brings a ton of positives, there can be a downside. Maybe you don’t feel as beautiful or as confident if you’re not wearing makeup? Or perhaps you can’t leave the house without applying your foundation and mascara? If this resonates, we want to help you love yourself without makeup and discover your true beauty and power. Here is our complete guide to accepting and loving yourself without makeup.
Why Choose to go Makeup-Free?
Firstly, let’s get this straight. There is nothing wrong with choosing to wear makeup. Maybe you woke up today and followed your usual routine of applying concealer over blemishes and blush on your cheeks for a youthful glow. And now you’re questioning or arguing why your makeup ritual is wrong. It isn’t! BUT, those mornings when your alarm clock doesn’t go off, and you don’t have time for a coffee, it’s OKAY not to wear makeup.
I know there’s enormous pressure from society to look a certain way, but this is your reminder that you don’t have to wear makeup. After years of applying a full face of beauty products before leaving the house, it can almost become a mask we hide behind.
By covering every blemish on our faces, we begin to see our imperfections as these annoying, embarrassing flaws that need hiding and correcting. Choosing to go makeup-free can be liberating and can help you accept yourself, fine lines, blemishes, and all.
Accepting and Loving Yourself Without Makeup
If you’ve been wearing makeup since before you can remember, it will probably take time before you begin accepting and loving yourself without makeup. Don’t stress. You don’t need to throw away your makeup kit or swear never to wear makeup again. We’re here to help you realize that you are gorgeous with and without makeup. And on those days when you don’t want to apply it, you don’t have to.
Start by Applying Less Makeup
I get that encouraging you to go makeup-free tomorrow might be challenging and even scary. But what you can do, is gradually transition to wearing less makeup. Instead of applying your usual full face complete with foundation, setting powder, highlighter, contour, and the rest, could you consider a lighter option?
Perhaps you could start by eliminating one product from your routine per day. Tomorrow, ditch the contour. Then the next day, skip the eyeshadow. Work your way up to only wearing concealer and mascara by the end of the week. By gradually wearing less makeup, it will assist you to gain the confidence to eventually show off your bare skin.
Go Makeup-Free at Home
When we get home from work or a day out with friends, we don’t tend to rush to the bathroom to remove our makeup. That step is usually reserved right before we get into bed. The next time you return, take off your makeup right away and allow your skin to breathe. It will let you get used to going makeup-free in the comfort of your own home. That way, you don’t have the stress of worrying about what you look like or what people think of you.
With your bare face free, grab your phone and take some selfies! You might even choose to play dress up, try out a new look or style your hair. You don’t need to post the images on Instagram or show anyone, for that matter. They are for your eyes only. Hopefully, the selfies will make you feel empowered and realize that you are truly beautiful without makeup!
Practice Positive Affirmations While Makeup-Free
While you’re makeup-free in the comfort of your own digs, it’s the perfect opportunity to try out some positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are statements that help you overcome negative beliefs or thoughts about yourself. When you repeat positive affirmations, you start to believe them and think more positively.
You could practice saying things like, “I am beautiful inside and out.” “I love the way I look without makeup” or “this is my real skin, and I love it.” Even better if you practice them in front of the mirror. It might seem a little silly and awkward at first, but stick with it! You can also use these positive affirmations when you’re critical towards yourself or when those mean comments come up. Replace those negative thoughts with a positive affirmation like “today I choose to let go of self-criticism.”
Be Kind to Yourself
The most important part of accepting and loving yourself without makeup is being patient and kind to yourself. Your journey to going makeup-free is unique, and it doesn’t fit into a set timeline. It’s totally fine if you aren’t quite ready to go bare-skinned to work or if you aren’t ready to stop wearing foundation yet.
If some days you want to express yourself through makeup and do a full face with a smokey eye, go for it! If you’re choosing to do your makeup because you want to, not because you feel you have to, that’s great! You might even notice that by taking a break from makeup every now, you appreciate the process of applying your makeup more. Who knows, it might inspire creativity, rather than it being a chore that we feel compelled to do.
Loving Yourself Without Makeup Can Take Time
Going makeup-free for the first time can be frightening! So it’s totally natural for you to feel worried about what you look like or care about what others think of you. Remember, change can take time – a long time. But on the plus side, think of all the time you’ll save not spending your mornings doing your makeup! Use that time to do things that bring you joy or just set your alarm for an hour later and get some beauty sleep.
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