Why Makeup Free Days Are Seriously Good

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Wearing make-up is a part of my everyday routine just like showering and brushing my teeth is. To be frank: I rarely leave the house without it these days. At the very least I will always pop on some concealer to cover up my horrendous bags and add some mascara to make me look slightly less dead. So the other day when I booked myself in for a facial - which is situated smack bang in the middle a shopping centre - I had a little freak out as I knew i'd have to go make-up free.

"Oh, no..but what if I run into someone?!" was all that was running through my head. Heavens forbid someone catches me with a make-up free face! As I walked through the shopping centre I had my head down and let my hair flow freely over my face. I probably looked ridiculous and had the latter effect of drawing more attention to myself! I quickly marched into the beauty salon and successfully avoided running into anyone I know.

It was whilst I was having my facial that I had an epiphany: why the hell does it matter if I wear make-up or not? 

I started thinking it through and I realized that make-up had become something I was hiding under rather than using for enjoyment. It's not that I stopped enjoying it..but I had become so accustomed to wearing it that I felt I couldn't be seen without it. That whole notion is just ridiculous though - isn't it? The fact that I didn't want to be seen without it because I was worried that I wouldn't look up to scratch or at my usual standard.

So I decided: I need to wear make-up a little less. 

For trips to my local supermarket I went barefaced. When I went to the beach I only applied a tinted moisturizer. For coffee dates with friends I just went for concealer and a little mascara. And do you know what people said to me when they saw how I looked? Nothing. They said nothing. Why? Because it's not a big deal. It doesn't matter. I had built it up in my head that I HAD to always look made up but when it came down to it - no one really noticed or cared.

Although I won't be giving up wearing make-up completely, this experience just showed me that perhaps I need to let myself go bare faced a little more. Rosie Huntington-Whitley was in a video with Lisa Eldridge and said something that stuck with me: "makeup should enhance, it shouldn't hide". So I think for now i'm going to go back to basics and go for a softer everyday look. Make-up free days are not only good for your skin but they're good for soul  as it's important to realize it's okay to go au natural every now and then.

If you are someone who struggles to leave the house without a full face of make-up then perhaps this could be a good challenge for you as well? Let me know how you feel about this and if you have ever felt the same way!

Holly x

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6 comments

  1. I can totally relate to this. I started playing around with makeup when I was only 12 years old. I got used to it more and more and the thought of not wearing any was just always so not bearable. I remember being maybe 15 and I cancelled a date because it was hot and I needed to wear open shoes and didn't have nice painted nails. Sure, this is not makeup in your face but that's the kind of person. Now I'm 28 and it's still not easy to leave the house without makeup. However, I've been forcing myself to do it a lot more often, over the past years. It still feels totally awkward but as you wrote, nobody cares if I go grocery shopping with a bare face. The thing is, I usually don't wear a ton of makeup but it still makes a difference. I'm glad that you are getting more comfortable with it. It truly shouldn't define and control us, but it's hard, sometimes. I think you look gorgeous without makeup and we really shouldn't care about what others think, anyway. :)

    XX Hailey - www.haileyjaderyan.com // www.instagram.com/haileyjaderyan

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    Replies
    1. Thank you SO much for your comment, it's so nice to hear from someone who feels the exact same way! And i'm the same, i've cancelled things before because I felt I was having a bad face day where no make-up could salvage the situation haha. You're absolutely right - it definitely shouldn't define or control us. :) x

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  2. So true, makeup free days are so important as well!! And also because people don't notice usually anyway :D

    xx Sofia | SofiaaDot

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  3. I loved this post, I can totally relate to what you're saying! As much as I love make up, I have learnt to love myself without it. There's nothing as refreshing as being able to step out of the house fresh faced and still feel great XX

    https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/martha-mol-14017765

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  4. I love this post!
    I am seriously considering taking up the challenge. I started wearing makeup when I was 17 and haven't looked back since. I am the kind of person that is super confident as long as everything is perfect, heaven forbid my nail polish should chip or my eyeliner is uneven, that's when things go down hill.
    The New Old Fashioned Girl

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  5. I think it's so important to just at least try and get used to not wearing makeup in public. I'm 16 and I don't wear makeup to school... I just don't feel the need. I have a few dark marks left from spots as well as a few spots and pimples too... it just doesn't bother me. I like wearing makeup, I don't use it to cover up. I think that everyone should feel that way about makeup!
    Aleeha xXx
    http://www.halesaaw.com/

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