The Make Up Mask

I know this is something that has been spoken of many times before.  But I’m kind of passionate about it.

Makeup is NOT a mask. But many of us use it as one. We look in the mirror and hate what we see, dwell on the imperfections, and judge ourselves. Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like people judging me, so why is it OK to negatively point so harshly inwards?

When we don’t love ourselves (I’m talking physically and emotionally), we try and hide who we are. Especially if the “un-love” for ourselves comes from something someone else may have said.

So introducing makeup as a mask.

We hide what we don’t like, and try and make a different look that we hope other people will like. And I feel for some people this has taken the fun out of make up. I’m not much of an artist (but I enjoy being crafty or doing art because it’s fun – not because I’m Picasso), but putting on make up is like being an artist and my face is the most perfect canvas. To have the freedom to create what I want, to not just be desperate trying to paint the black canvas white is really freeing.

As I’ve grown into my own skin and learned to love what others tried to make fun of, makeup stopped being something to cover, change and make me something I’m not, to being an extra expression of who I am!

I haven’t always loved everything about myself, thanks to comments during high school for having rosacea, “What are you embarrased for? Oh, it’s just your face!” For being so pale, “Cover yourself up. the sun’s reflecting off your face and it’s blinding.” And to the common stuff like acne – which I’ve had more of in the last 4 years than I ever had in high school. Acne doesn’t make anyone look cute, but it’s a fact of life, so who cares if you have a little, or a lot. It’s there, so no point in desperately trying to cover it up, people can still see the lump under the mountain of foundation you just put on.

As I’ve grown into my own skin and learned to love what others tried to make fun of, makeup stopped being something to cover, change and make me something I’m not, to being an extra expression of who I am! (P.S. I’m sitting in my local cafe, makeup free as I write this).

I’ve stopped letting makeup hide who I am, and I let it be an extension of how I feel that day. I don’t want to hide behind it, because I know I’m pretty great, and I want people to be able to see that, and not see my mask.

So if makeup has become a mask for you, I challenge you sit down, look in the mirror, and ask yourself, why. Why do you feel like you need to hide you? We are all created in the image of God, we are all His children, so why do we hide? Take your mask off, you never know what you might discover!

#BYOB