Image. It's everything to some and nothing to others. But a long time ago someone told me that it takes a second to make a first impression and a lifetime to forget it. I consider myself fairly conservative when it comes to my image. You will very rarely see me showing a lot of skin. I actually feel the prettiest/sexiest when I'm at home in PJ's and glasses - no makeup! But then again, I'm not a huge risk taker all around.
There is no doubt the cosmetics industry is all about image and the latest trends. Just think about the plethora of skin creams, wrinkle serums, moisturizers, etc. targeted towards achieving eternal youth. At the MAC store I work at, there are two very large mirrors along with several smaller, handheld mirrors. It is impossible to not notice how you look. And so the other day at work, after closing the store, I glanced in the mirror and was shocked by how tired I looked. Immediately I started critiquing every pore, wrinkle, and hair on my face. Without thinking, I blurted out, "I'm really starting to look 30." Umm... yeah, right. I DO NOT look 30 at all. This initiated a self deprecating conversation between me and my coworkers in which we each started pointing out the things we hate most about our faces, bodies, etc. Whyyyy?!? Women in general need to be more positive about ourselves. Why is it so hard for us to focus on the good? Or to be able to look in the mirror and think, "Wow, I look pretty!" versus "My nose is too big." Then the conversation turned towards how horrible we each must look without makeup. Now I love makeup more than most people. But I am more than willing to leave the house without any makeup on. Why I felt the need to talk about how much I hated my skin sans makeup is beyond me. So I decided to challenge myself and take off all my makeup in the store, in front of everyone. One of the main reasons I decided to become a makeup artist was that I wanted to promote self-beauty and self-love among women. It's important that we not be "mean girls" but rather motivate and respect each other. Let's do this ladies. Please!
And for your information, here is what I look like without a single drop of makeup...