How I Felt Wearing Makeup For The First Time In Three Years

Before the pandemic, I was a huge makeup fan. I had piles stacked in my cabinet. Every week, I would go to the drugstore or a beauty retailer to check out the newest eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks. I would try to change my look every day since I wanted to use my products.

However, during the pandemic, I stopped wearing makeup. I don’t know why, but I didn’t want to think about it at all. I threw most of my makeup collection away and donated the rest so that I could clear up a drawer or two.

After that year, I thought I would never touch makeup again. Cosmetics became way too expensive for me to afford, and I was too busy. I didn’t always feel like splurging on it.

Then, I suddenly remembered I had a bad experience with makeup when I was growing up.

Whenever I wore makeup, or got it done by other people, I had so many people tell me that I looked better with it on. I wondered if that meant I looked ugly without makeup. Moreover, I didn’t want people to think I looked good just because I had colors on my face. It wasn’t the real me, and I felt that makeup covered so many aspects of who I was.

But one day, all of those thoughts changed.

A friend asked me to help out at a photoshoot. To do so, I had to model, which meant that I had to replenish my makeup kit again. But instead of being natural, I decided to go all out.

I bought foundation, concealer, an Urban Decay eyeshadow palette, mascara, and brushes. The shopping trip cost me a lot, but I decided to go all out.

First, I prepared my skin and then applied my foundation and concealer. Afterward, I filled in my eyebrows and began my eyeshadow look.

I started with the light colors, then gradually moved on to the darker colors, creating a smokey eye. At that moment, I realized why I stopped wearing makeup.

Blending colors on your eyelid takes too much work every morning. It felt like a hassle because I had to constantly transition between different colors and blend them more than (what felt like) a few hundred times.

The eyeshadow portion took a long time, but I enjoyed the look once I was done. I felt more confident in myself and enjoyed makeup more than I ever thought I would.

After taking a few selfies, I had to wash my makeup off. Surprisingly, I was bummed out at this part because I enjoyed applying it. And washing all that away meant washing all my hard work down the drain.

But I felt a sense of pride and confidence.

I found out that despite not wearing makeup for three years, I could still apply it and create a look that resonated with me. Plus, I liked the way it turned out. I felt like a new person, ready to tackle the world.

Even though I no longer wear makeup daily, I found a new appreciation for it. Applying it takes a lot of work in the morning, so to whoever does that every day – props to you.

And although I usually go to work without makeup, I may decide to wear it on special occasions for friends and family. After all, wearing makeup made me feel like a new person because it gave me confidence and routine.

So, in the end, I learned that makeup is about more than aesthetics. And I wish others would realize that, too.