The No-Makeup Challenge

My very good friend tagged me in a Facebook post of hers yesterday called the No-Makeup Selfie. This has been circulating around Facebook prompting women to upload photos of themselves with a face free of makeup in honor of those battling cancer. Au Naturel. This seemed like perfect timing because exactly one day previous to this I considered opting out of getting a much needed coffee on my way home from driving my beau to work in the morning because I was completely makeup-less."No way can I be in public without makeup, that's just crazy."And then I thought about why I wear makeup in the first place.

I enjoy using makeup as a tool to create a look that I feel suites me and that look changes as I do. Although I'm sure few others would notice the subtle differences, I love looking back at pictures from past years and remembering how I chose to represent myself then. These changes embody some kind of progression. In a way it tracks my states of mind, my experiences, my evolution. I could look at an old photo of myself and tell just by my eyebrow shape what was happening in my life at that time. I carry a subjective interpretation of my current self plastered right on my face wherever I go. I've gotten so used to expressing myself through makeup that I almost forgot that I am still me without it. I should not be hesitant to uncover the canvas beneath because without the canvas...there would be nothing at all.

A shortened version of this narrative ran through my head after dismissing the idea of stopping for a coffee due to my lack of self expression painted on my face. In an instant it hit me that it is not a characteristic of mine to give a damn about the opinion of those who look at my face at 8 o'clock in the morning or any other time of day for that matter. I then proceeded to pull over in front of a coffee shop and get myself a coffee. That moment in time captured me perfectly, no need to hide it from anyone. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it shouldn't be a challenge to be in public without makeup. And it shouldn't be a challenge to post a photo of myself on Facebook without makeup. It's my face. That's it.

~K