A few weeks without make-up...

It might sound like hell to some people, but it really wasn't.

By most standards, I don’t wear much make-up, and I never really have done. My morning make-up routine sees me reaching for moisturiser, mascara and blusher. It takes me less than 5 minutes, but that's mainly because I have a toddler to entertain! Sometimes I throw on a lipstick or some lip gloss – someone once told me you can take over the world wearing a good lip gloss, which makes me smile a lot.

I don’t wear foundation at all really; and concealer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and everything else lurking deep within my make-up drawer, are only usually shown the light of day when I'm going somewhere special, or when I'm on stage.

Despite the fact I don’t wear a lot of day make-up, in recent years I found myself wanting to wear it to feel good about myself, which is crazy. Cosmetics should never be a defining factor in how a person feels, yet their prominence makes it seem more and more like they are.

Even though I like to wear make-up, I am still quite comfortable going out without it, and do so very regularly to a variety of reactions. A few weeks ago I caught conjunctivitis off my daughter (nice), so naturally, I backed away from the mascara wand. I haven’t worn make up since, it’s been 3 weeks now, my skin feels amazing, and I feel pretty good about it too.

In those 3 weeks I've not had as many comments as I thought I might to be honest, but I have heard some comments about my skin. They've ranged from lovely, confidence boosting words, to just plain hurtful words.

 “You look really pale, are you ill?”

“You’re skin looks amazing!”

“You look so tired.”

“You’re not wearing make-up? Why?”

“I wish I had the confidence to do that.”

“I wish I had your skin.”

“You look like you've had a bit of a breakout.”

“You look really fresh faced.”

All things that have been said to me in the past 3 weeks. A few of them really bothered me, like why pale is a bad thing, but I got over myself, and after I had a ‘moment’ I was ok. 

I realised how lucky I am that I have been raised and have always been surrounded by people who have exuded the message that beauty is within, and I will be bringing my daughter up the same way. My husband always makes me feel good about myself, whether I have crappy old clothes on, bad hair and am so pale I'm practically transparent; or I am dressed up like I'm off to some glamorous event. For his attitude, and for making me feel comfortable enough to be myself whatever, I will be forever grateful (shhh, don’t tell him I got all mushy!)

That's not to say I don't love make-up; I absolutely I do. I get all excited about new products and brushes just as much as the next person, but I've sort of reached a point now where I almost don't care. By saying that, I mean I don’t care what people think of my skin, their opinion isn't for me to worry about. My skin, and whether I wear make-up or not doesn't affect the kind of person I am, and I will endeavour to keep this sense of positivity and confidence about it.

I will try to hold on to how I feel right now, to never to feel like I ‘have’ to wear make-up. Of course, I will wear it, but because I want to, I enjoy it and I like to wear it; never because I feel like I need to.

 Xx