This topic came to me when I saw all these articles about “This is Renee Z?”, which of course, I clicked because I love her role in Bridget Jones. And they were right. She was almost unrecognizable. But no matter how I looked, I couldn’t see where they could have done surgery work. I closed the browser and didn’t want to think too much because I try my best not to read celebrity news. But it bugged me all day. So I did a quick sampling on Photoshop, a stamp clone here and a brush here, and voila, it was the same Bridget (I will always call her Bridget). What was revealed was simply lack of heavy make-up (I added some rosier lipstick, some blush to hide the shine) and also, most importantly, I “tweezed” and “shaped” and “colored in” her eyebrow. Aside from make-up, it was age. She was gracing age “au natural”.
Original post from Facebook
I first started wearing make up to hide my horrible acne problem, which I had since childhood. Make-up covered the blemishes and the scars. Eventually, make-up became an art form; trying out colors and combinations to somehow try to build my identity as a teenager.
It’s been 6 months since I’ve last worn make-up. Actually, I haven’t worn make-up on a daily basis for almost 2 years now. As I started my 29th year, I waned from having a “carry always” collection of foundation, blush, eye shadow, eye liner, and gloss to just having eye liner. And eventually, I dropped all my make-up completely. I wouldn’t say I have forsaken make-up completely. I use it on rare special occasions like the ball in Switzerland 6 months ago.
This change started when I met my now significant other for the first time. I had gone on dates wearing tons of make-up. Sometimes, it almost didn’t look like me. I told myself it made me feel more confident. My roommate at the time challenged me to go on a date without make-up, to date a man who would see the real me and not some illusion or art piece I created. Fortunately, the night I met him, I didn’t carry my make up bag and had to go au natural. And because he seemed to like me for my natural self, I thought, whew, this takes a load out of my time to prep for our first date.
And it was the first date I’ve gone on for over 9 years where I didn’t wear make up.
I was and still am my own masterpiece without wearing make-up.
Make-up is great for feeling extra beautiful. It’s great for that extra oomph of woman power. But overall, make-up is an extension of myself. It isn’t what makes me who I am. I am happy being naturally who I am. I am the person my mother gave birth to. I have a personality based on my talents and my knowledge and my quirkiness and not my looks. I’m definitely for “what you see if what you get” or as the tech world calls it “WYSIWYG”.
But even without make-up, I love who I am and that’s the most important part. I can still be my true self without covering it up. And it gave me some relief that I didn’t have to spend a certain amount of time to overly primp myself, except for very special occasion.
FYI, at my age (I know I am not that old), but a good habit to have is a good daily beauty routine.
My daily beauty routine is wash and moisturize with the occasional green tea mask. It keeps me looking young and fresh.