Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline – but honestly, who cares? Nowadays, there are so many negative connotations associated with wearing or not wearing makeup. If you do wear makeup, it’s assumed that you’re insecure about your looks. If you don’t, it’s assumed that you’re lazy or not feminine. Makeup, or the lack thereof, is by all means a choice and not worth judging people over.

For me, makeup truly is an art as well as a means of self expression. The way I wear my makeup is personal to me and an extension of myself. I wear it because I genuinely enjoy the process of applying it as well as the end result, of course. What’s difficult for some people to understand is that you can’t possibly make accurate assumptions about someone’s personality, especially their self esteem, based off their appearance.

Wearing makeup is meant to enhance facial features, but it is often misinterpreted as a means to mask insecurities. This could not be farther from the truth. If I hated my face, why would I spend time and money applying products to accentuate my favorite features? Honestly, if it were the case, I would cut my losses and just wear a paper bag over my face.

Wearing no makeup is cool, too. It doesn’t make you lazy or any less feminine than any other cake face roaming the halls. If going all natural is what you feel most comfortable with, go for it. I totally understand that for some, the idea of waking up an extra 30 minutes early and spending hard earned money on mascara makes absolutely no sense. If I didn’t enjoy doing my makeup as much as I do, I would sleep in too.

Naturally we judge people by their appearance. It’s part of our nature and is what I learned in Communications class known as “nonverbal communication.” (Thanks, Mrs. Hardesty.) However in no way, shape or form does what you wear or don’t wear on your face truly make up who you are.