Like many teen girls, an essential part of my morning routine was sitting in front of my mirror and applying makeup. Though it started as simple strokes of eyeliner, mascara, and some lip gloss, I felt like I was partaking in a rite of passage that every teen girl needed to do to fit in.
I walked into school with a great deal of pride and confidence. Underneath the eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss was a girl who saw makeup as a gratifying activity that connected her to her friends and peers. Over time, my makeup routine evolved to include more steps and layers — priming, foundation, highlighting, contouring, blush, eye shadow, lipstick, and, of course, setting spray. Whether it was to attend class, work, the gym, or run errands, makeup became a necessity. On the rare occasions when I didn’t have time to complete my multi-step makeup routine, it felt as if I forgot to put on deodorant. Going bare-faced in public felt like a wrong that needed to be corrected.
“Going bare-faced in public felt like a wrong that needed to be corrected.”
Somewhere between the bright-eyed 15-year-old girl who wanted to fit in and my early college days, I began to begrudge the daily application and removal of my makeup. It became an arduous chore that, years prior, was something I looked forward to. Eventually, I started to wonder why I was subjecting myself to an activity that wasn’t bringing me joy. No one was forcing me to do it. So why did I feel obligated to drag myself out of bed two hours before my 8 a.m. classes to put on a full face of makeup? Was it to feel beautiful? Was it to appear a certain way to others? Or was it a habit that I convinced myself was necessary to feel worthy to exist?
Little did I know that this self-inquiry would soon lead me down a path that very few women take, one where you can retire your makeup and brushes and show up in the world naturally.
Why I decided to go makeup-free
Unlike Alicia Keys and Pamela Anderson, who have both had definitive moments in recent years that led them to go makeup-free, my decision was more unconscious, with incremental change. (Anderson’s was a lightbulb moment before appearing at Paris Fashion Week; Keys was a peak moment of exhaustion with society’s constrained view on beauty.) For me, it was as simple as waking up one day in my college dorm and deciding to skip the makeup portion of my routine out of laziness.
This soon turned into a week, then a month, then years of skipping my makeup routine. I gradually began forgoing my bi-monthly trips to Sephora. Eventually, I threw away the remnants of my unused makeup items. I wasn’t making a definitive decision to be makeup-free at the time, but it marked the beginning of a shift in my mindset on beauty.
“I wasn’t making a definitive decision to be makeup-free at the time, but it marked the beginning of a shift in my mindset on beauty.”
Five years into my makeup-free journey, I’ve had similar revelations to Anderson and Keys. Though our journeys began for different reasons, going makeup-free served the same purpose: It was a vehicle to liberate us from the weight of beauty standards, allowing us to reconnect with our true selves.
This isn’t to say that those who choose to wear makeup are somehow less authentic. Instead, it offers an alternative option for self-expression that is often unexplored. When the weight of beauty standards no longer impacted the choices I made or the way I viewed myself, I felt like I had more time and energy to tune into my inner voice and make decisions from a source of authenticity rather than outside influence.
Initially, it felt odd to go without makeup, specifically for special occasions, like weddings, parties, dates, and work events. My mind tried to convince me that I needed to wear makeup or else people would judge me and think that I didn’t care about my appearance at all. However, those thoughts subsided the more I went to events that “warranted” makeup and witnessed the indifference of those around me. People honestly didn’t care that I didn’t wear makeup (and if they did, I learned that that’s their problem). The truth of the matter is that makeup isn’t a requirement to feel and look beautiful.
Redefining what beauty means
Beauty needs a new definition. If I were to ask my 15-year-old self what beauty meant to her, her mind likely would’ve conjured up the current It Girls displayed on billboards, magazines, and television. And her response would’ve undoubtedly been informed by the modern-day beauty industry, which is built on amplifying insecurities, manufacturing nonexistent problems that need to be fixed, and selling an endless array of solutions (they’re a billion-dollar industry for a reason!). Somewhere in her definition would include the words perfect, (physically) attractive, and desired. Nowhere in the process of defining beauty would my 15-year-old self describe any characteristics of herself. This all changed when I allowed myself to redefine what beauty meant to me.
“Nowhere in the process of defining beauty would my 15-year-old self describe any characteristics of herself.”
Our current definition of beauty is misinformed and misguided. It continues to fuel anti-aging propaganda and continues to encourage beauty trends that influence women of all ages to alter their appearance. My question is: Who decided what looking and feeling beautiful looked and felt like, and why have we subscribed to this standard for so long?
“You kind of have to challenge beauty sometimes,” Pamela Anderson expressed in an interview with Vogue France. “If we all chase youth or we’re chasing our idea of what beauty is in fashion magazines and everything, we’re only going to be disappointed or maybe a little bit sad.” Challenging the idea of beauty we’ve collectively clung to is the first step to freeing ourselves from its hold. The second step is identifying the things that make us feel more connected to ourselves, regardless of what is currently being promoted. And, lastly, we need to let this new definition truly permeate our lives, allowing it to supplant its predecessor.
“Challenging the idea of beauty we’ve collectively clung to is the first step to freeing ourselves from its hold.”
Now, if you asked the 24-year-old woman I am today what beauty means to her, she would unabashedly begin with describing inner characteristics and the energy of an individual. Someone kind, welcoming, and wholly themselves, whether makeup is present or not.
There’s a noticeable difference in the way I carry myself today compared to previous years because I’m no longer measuring my worth by what’s in and what’s out in the beauty industry. The new standard I measure myself against is how I feel in my skin, the thoughts and words I direct to the woman reflected in the mirror every morning, and how aligned I am with my authenticity. Although my definition of beauty may not resonate with others, it’s one that liberated me from the sadness and disappointment that can come from chasing an elusive ideal set by somebody else.
What being makeup-free has taught me
When I found myself going natural, it didn’t feel that radical. It felt like a natural progression into the next version of myself — even if I did have my hesitations and doubts in the beginning. However, the reactions of awe and criticism that Keys and Anderson garnered speak to the power the beauty industry has over our beliefs about what a woman should look like when she appears in public. The criticism stems from the belief that our natural appearance is inadequate, and the awe stems from the rarity of going against that belief.
My former self would’ve accepted the lie that my natural appearance wasn’t enough and that I needed to enhance, cover, and change it to accept myself and to be accepted by others. But now that I’ve experienced what it’s like to be liberated from this false belief and present myself in a way that is authentic to me, I’ve accepted this fact: I’ve always been enough.
“Now that I’ve experienced what it’s like to be liberated … I’ve accepted this fact: I’ve always been enough.”
Every day when I wake up, go to the bathroom, and go through the steps of my morning routine, the absence of makeup is a proclamation to myself. I’m declaring that my worth does not come from what I put on my face. My worth comes from the individual that I am, and the person that I am becoming. It comes from how I choose to show up for myself and my loved ones. This proclamation is a small act, but it speaks volumes and has ripple effects on other choices in my life.
My 15-year-old self wouldn’t fathom retiring her makeup bag and stepping out of the house without a full face of makeup. But she also wouldn’t be able to imagine the self-confidence that she would experience once she chose to go makeup-free. And it’s this confidence that gave her permission to simply be.
Aaliyah Alexander is a freelance writer currently living abroad, with roots in Mississippi. She studied journalism at San Diego State University, where she began her editorial journey as an editor at The Daily Aztec. With a focus on slow living, self-growth, and holistic wellness, her work has appeared in The Everygirl, Sowing Stability, The Kitchen Conversation, and more. Offline, you’ll find her planning her next trip, making Spotify playlists, or browsing for her next favorite book. You can follow her on Instagram or on her personal blog.
