The Naked Truth...

I’ve been mulling over something for about a week now and finally decided, on the drive into work. that I needed to vent about it.

To set up the story: Last Friday, my department went on an all day trip where we spend the day swimming and playing on a boat and in the water. We all got to the office at 5:30 am, loaded our stuff (and all the food and drinks and gear) into the bus and left around 6 am. We got to the lake at about 8:45, unloaded everything and hauled it down a humongous hill and across the marina to our rented pontoon boat. Then, we played all day, packed everything up around 4 and reversed our morning. It was a really long day, I left the house at 5 am and got home at 8:30 pm.

Several days before the trip, I was talking with one of the women here who has done the trip for the past 8 years. I commented that no way was I putting on makeup for this trip. She looked at me and said “oh honey, I don’t leave the house without makeup. Ever.” I remember replying “well I don’t usually but something like this is different.” The conversation went on for a few more minutes then drifted to something else, but it really got me to thinking.

My husband always tells me I look beautiful without my makeup on. I can’t think of a single guy I ever dated who said “Gosh, I wish you had makeup on, you’d look so much better.” So when did we women decide that we couldn’t leave the house without our faces on?

I don’t know about anyone else, but I spend *maybe* 5 minutes on my face in the morning. I put on foundation that has sunscreen, a bit of blush, a bit of eye pencil, slap on some “They’re Real” mascara (my eyelashes are totally blonde), and a bit of face powder to even things out. Done. On the weekend? I only put makeup on if we are going out for dinner or if I’m going out with the girls or something.

I remember when I was younger, makeup seemed so important. I had a lot of it and I wore a lot of it! I remember wearing pink and purple eye shadow in the 90’s and thinking I looked so hot. I remember buying my first eye shadow, in 7^th grade - Covergirl, a light blue, and wearing that stuff proudly. Why? I don’t know. Honestly, I have no idea. I guess it was because my friend, Liz Connelly, wore it and it looked so cool on her. 

I’m reaching a point in my life where I’m starting to realize that I am not defined by something so silly as makeup. I’m not defined by how well my face is made up and how well my eye shadow/blush/lipstick/mascara is applied. I am me. If you don’t want to look at me, and find me unappealing to look at, then that’s your issue, not mine.

I’m proud of the fact that I can hold my head high and leave the house without makeup on. It’s not the topmost priority for me, I guess. Being happy, healthy, and the best me I can be is far more important. And you know what? Last Friday? I swam, I relaxed, I spent the day with my coworkers, and honestly? Not a single one looked at me and said “wow, you look different without makeup.” I have a hunch they didn’t even notice or care. J

The hair, on the other hand…. Yea, well, Rome wasn’t built in a day! I’m still working on that! (Boy did I have scary hair on the bus ride home, which, of course, is why baseball caps were invented!)

How about you? Are you defined by the amount of make up you wear or can you accept yourself naked and natural?