Why Every Girl Needs To Try A Makeup-Free Week
Makeup is a pretty big part of most women’s daily routines, one that we adopt sometime in high school and carry on with for years. Although in 2019 we talk about makeup as an empowering tool that can help us to express ourselves, there’s definitely another side to it. While it may start off as something to play around with, the pressure of fitting in at secondary school can make it into something we rely on in order to hide insecurities even after we’re adults.
The problem is that this can often leave us so attached to it that we feel reluctant to go makeup-free. Even leaving the house without your signature look can feel intimidating.
Because of this, the thought of a makeup-free week will seem scary, if not impossible, for some people but it is the first step towards a healthier relationship with makeup, increased self-confidence and a bunch of other benefits besides. So, here are our thoughts on why you should try a makeup-free week.
It Gives You A New Outlook
When you feel stuck in a routine that you want to break, the best way to do it is to set a reasonable goal. One week is a good starting place, being enough time to give you a whole new perspective without seeming overwhelming. Often when people feel that they must wear makeup every day and cannot go outside without it, it is because we are worried about what other people will think when they see us.
There is pressure to be well presented and well dressed at all times. The thing is, almost immediately you’ll realise that people don’t really care, some may not even notice. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is the best way to change your perspective.
You Will Immediately Start To Gain More Confidence
When you start to realise how little other people care about you going makeup-free, you’ll start to realise how little they care about the things that make you so insecure. This realisation can make you feel so much more confident and the initial feeling of exposure that accompanies going makeup-free will melt away. From that point on, having a bare face will start to feel empowering and you’ll find that many people will compliment you on your decision.
It’s not just about how other people see you though. You yourself will like the way that you look more and more. When you wear makeup every day, you can start to feel like that is your true self and when taking it off at the end of the day, you can make unhelpful comparisons between yourself with and without makeup. So, seeing your real face every day for a week will make you fall in love with it again and naturally you’ll begin to gain confidence.
You’ll Break Down Your Own Boundaries
If leaving the house makeup-free is an alarming concept then you’ll probably find that it’s forcing you to miss out on things. You can’t go for last-minute plans because there’s no time to apply a full face, you won’t go swimming or maybe even go on sleepovers. Of course, this may seem extreme, but if your insecurities are interfering this much with your life then at some point you need to try something new. When you try a makeup-free week, you’ll break down the boundaries that have limited you in the past and feel a renewed sense of freedom.
It Will Save You So Much Time
If you spend every morning applying a full face of foundation, eyeliner and maybe even highlight (and let’s be honest we definitely do), you probably know the pain of waking up an hour earlier than everyone else just to fit it all in. Cutting out that huge chunk of time means you can have a lie-in, a proper breakfast or maybe even catch up on the latest episode of your favourite show. By the end of the week, you’ll wonder why you’ve wasted so much of your time. Plus, those extra hours of sleep will leave you looking fresher as it is.
It Will Also Save You Money
Maybe one week of quitting makeup won’t save you that much, but if going makeup-free becomes your new normal, then imagine how much you’ll save. If you didn’t know, the average woman spends around £300 every year and in their lifetime, it can be as high as £20,000. That’s enough to get a nice car! Of course, quitting makeup altogether might not be the outcome you want, so don’t get too excited about that figure, but saving a bit here and there certainly wouldn’t be unwelcome.
Your Skin Will Certainly Thank You
We often use makeup to cover blemishes, breakouts and dry patches but it turns out that we’re actually embarking on a vicious cycle that can take its toll on your skin. The makeup that you’re applying every morning can actually do more damage than you expect. If you’re naturally prone to acne, makeup will worsen the problem.
Caused by hormones, skin oils and bacteria coming into contact to cause inflammation in your pores, acne is worsened by pore-clogging makeup routines. Even if you don’t suffer from acne, wearing makeup every day can lead to blackheads and pimples, especially if you’re not washing it off properly.
On the other end of the spectrum, for some people, makeup doesn’t make the skin more oily, it dries it out and causes premature aging. Wearing moisturiser is one step towards preventing this issue, but taking a break from makeup to focus on caring for your skin can also help.
It’s not just foundation that can have negative effects though. Eye make can lead to any number of issues from styes and irritation to infection and brittle eyelashes.
Is There A Downside?
Not as far as we can see. Other than that, without foundation, you’ll have to remember to wear more suncream than you do already.
Of course, everyone has to take things at their own pace and if a week without your comfort blanket seems too much, take smaller steps to start with. Maybe remove one step of your routine at a time or choose a day here and there to go makeup-free. The important thing is that you understand that makeup is your choice and not something that you should feel forced to use.
