Chefiatou Falana

Writing this feels like a conversation I usually have with my seven years old daughter, Kekeli. 

Anytime I am applying my foundation , she will come to me with a perplex face and asked " mommy, why are you putting on makeup? You are naturally beautiful." As a mother, raising a girl I had to make sure that I tell her the right thing. Through our daily affirmation, she knows that beauty is not about you put on but, what  you inside. " So why make up? " She will ask? 

Growing up, I knew nothing about makeup because I never showed any interest in it. I felt like makeup brings alot of attention to women. You become the center of attention, and if I had to ask for anything will be NO ATTENTION. Through these lines, you  can guess that I grew up not knowing my value. I believed I had no value therefore I wasn't doing anything to bring attention to me. 

The first time my cousin forced me to apply her foundation and eye shadow on me at 23 years, I felt so different . I felt like I was looking at a stranger. But a good looking stranger. Well, it only lasted for 5mn to quickly fetch for black African soap to scrape it off.  Something that took her more than 30mn to apply, I took it off less than a minute. I felt embarrassed, because I was being noticed. And plus the comment received made me feel like I was not beautiful without the makeup. And because of this feeling, and not wanting to become slave to it, I decided not to even wear makeup at all. 

But my mentality was changed when my spiritual mentor was taking me through the process of self love. He helped see a different side of makeup. He  gave me a new understanding on what makeup means. And this is the definition I share with my daughter anytime she is curious about makeup.

My mentor explained to me that applying makeup does not mean you are ugly. But it means you are taking care of that which God has trusted you with.  You become the artist creating a masterpiece through the brushes. He added  that makeup is an art. Normally as people are applying their makeup , that moment has to be unique. It has to be a moment of worship. It is a moment of gratitude of your face. It is a moment of worship  in a sense that you are appreciating every parts of your face, you are connecting to every part of the face. By doing this action, you are Awakening your sense of touch.  You are making love to your face: self-love. 

This is  is a moment of awareness and aweness. And every moment is different and unique experience.

Makeup is like painting nature. We are surrounded by beauty through nature, but unfortunately we miss it everytime. Makeup expresses the same beauty through nature. 

With this enlightened understanding, I research  on YouTube about makeup. I have cultivated the desire to learn,to teach and to heal.  I have months without makeup and I am never bothered by it, because I know the true beauty is what you believe inside: BEING   CREATED IN THE IMAGE AND THE LIKENESS OF GOD, AND BEING A RARE STONE.