Hey!
Read More
For the past 8 years, I've worn makeup, I've experimented, tried new things and realised somethings just don't suit me, like trying to perfect winged liner on hooded eyes. I never really thought of it more than that, I wore it to have confidence and to be my own canvas and create art. It wasn't until recently where I was recommended to stop wearing makeup and go back to a basic skincare routine to help clear my dermatitis that I noticed that skincare and makeup weren't as self-care as I thought.
Here's what my skincare routine looked like before
The reason for this epiphany was dermatitis that developed on my face, around my mouth and eyes. It's super embarrassing how long I just ignored it. I remember it being there in November 2019, 8 months ago, but at that time it kinda just came and went. In February, it had finally decided to move in fully on my face and for the last 6 weeks, made itself very well known. I put it down to being aggravated from wearing a mask at work and being stressed, definitely ignoring the situation and covering it with makeup so anyone other than my family could see it to the extent that it was. After some persuasion from my Mam, 2 doctors consultations, I had a treatment in hand ready to fight this off like fighting the final boss of a Mario Bros game but I was told by both doctors to have a simple skincare routine and try to avoid makeup. I was totally fine with the whole simple skincare routine as I had simplified mine a lot to try and help my skin but makeup, on the other hand, I wasn't so chill about.
A simple skincare routine and no makeup felt a little foreign to me as either of these things I regularly do and haven't done for a couple of years. Going from a 5 step skincare routine down to a 2 product skincare routine felt a little weird but I knew it was for the best as really want to get my skin back to its usual self. Makeup, on the other hand, wasn't as straight forward in my mind. At first, I was a little nervous to leave the house without it as if I was leaving with a piece of me missing.
This is my very basic skincare routine now
I've worn makeup since I was 13 and I wasn't the person that would wear it every day of the year but if I was leaving the house to go on a trip or to go to work, there would be some amount of makeup on me if it was some concealer or a full beat face. I never questioned why I wore it other than I liked playing with colour and that was that. The first thought I went through my head when I was told not to wear makeup, I thought about going to work and how self-conscious I'd feel, would someone point out how tired I looked or my more prominent dark circles. Then I realised that makeup wasn't just about the colours and the artistry. It gave me self confidence and hide the things that needed hiding. I was nervous about going into work for this reason alone. I wanted to just stay at home while I didn't have the option to wear makeup.
My boyfriend was up for a visit while this was going on and he insisted on going to Dublin for a day out, I was a little reluctant as I normally would spend the guts of an hour putting on different colours of things just so I could feel confident and pretty. Instead this time, I couldn't do that and I feel that I tried to compensate by doing my hair more than I usually would and wearing a super cute outfit. During the day away, I kinda forgot the whole not wearing makeup thingy and had a really good day besides the weather.
Reasons Why I Wear Makeup
1. Simply put, I like putting colours on my eyelids
2. It gives me confidence, more than fashion has. Especially as someone who doesn't fit the model aesthetic at all. I feel that there is more positivity around being more than a size UK 6 in makeup than in fashion.
3. Until recently, I didn't notice that there is pressure to wear makeup every day and always look practically perfect. It was staring me right in the face and the only one I didn't notice.
4. It's art. I used to be huge into doing art up until the age of around 12/13 when I realised that I wasn't really the best at it. I feel like my love for art and being creative transferred into doing makeup and creating makeup looks.
This isn't me giving up makeup, it's actually the opposite. I look forward to being able to use my makeup collection properly again but in the future, I hope to wear it because I want to not because I think I need to.
See you soon,
Róisín