Beauty and the Beholder

My love for make-up dates back to sitting on my parents’ bed and admiring my mom as she got ready for a night on the town. I love that it gives you the chance to invent and re-invent yourself. It’s an outlet for creativity – and for practicality to cover up imperfections. I always told myself I wore make-up for me, that it made me feel like myself. But when we were all quarantined, I dropped my foundation like a hot potato.

Two things happened. First, the reason I grew so attached to make-up was to cover my life-long acne. I was experiencing clear skin, so I felt confident to save my foundation for when it mattered: IRL. Surely Zoom would be the buffer I needed. Second, I saw other people skipping it, too. It made me think: what am I trying to hide?

Yes, I was trying to conceal the blemishes that should have been long-gone by my age. But I am who I am. I have my father’s nose and my mother’s pores. I also have natural eyelashes people envy.

When I took a long look in the mirror (which I had plenty of time to do), I realized I could start truly doing it for me. Quarantine helped me see make-up as a way to enhance me, not spackle it all up. For example: my eyebrows. They are the one thing I won’t be giving up anytime soon (I have to draw the line somewhere, literally). But I’ve scaled down to a more natural look after growing them out since April. 

Make-up will always be fun for me. Long after the days of the pandemic, I know a full face will be how I put my best foot forward. But I see it all a bit differently now. I’ve become the beholder, and it’s given me freedom.  

I invite you to consider your beholder. There are many ways to enhance instead of hide. Whether it’s FlexLash to accentuate your eyelashes, Cheektint to brighten your face, LipWhip for a pop of color, or no products at all, you’re in the driver’s seat about what beauty means. And that is a thing to behold.