I wear a bit of makeup every day—a little concealer because I’m constantly fighting under eye circles, always blush to make me look a more awake, and a brown liner on my upper lash line. I used to wear a lot more. I took some “modeling” classes when I was young and came away thinking I needed to wear a lot on my face: concealer, foundation, powder, blush, mascara, the works. The older I got, the less I wore; partly, I grew more comfortable in my skin, but also, I just grew busier and sleepier and neither of those left space for prioritizing much more than a 2 minute face routine.
I still feel more beautiful in makeup—I resent when people (men especially) tell me they think I’m more beautiful without any makeup on (mostly because when they say it, I’ve usually got at least a little on). I think being a part of this project made me even more aware that, even though I’m more comfortable with naked skin than I used to be, there are still some insecurities. And it was important to me to participate. I teach college students about sexism and gender expectations. How can I ask them to confront these things, to embrace feminism, if I can’t take off my makeup and be a little vulnerable?