I struggle with makeup. The mention of it brings to mind the words "fake" and "plastic". It's very easy for me get up on a soap box and preach about being yourself and loving your body, to say that if someone likes you, it should be for the real you instead of something you build every morning - and then I go touch up my mascara.
I didn't wear makeup until my sophomore year of high school. I can't remember my mom ever wearing any, so it must have been my older sister and cousin who brought it to my attention. I started with just mascara, then eye shadow, then eye liner. Currently, I stick to mascara and a little eye liner most days.
Every now and then, I pause in my routine, one finger pinning my eyelid still, my nose two inches from the mirror, and wonder Why am I doing this? If I am perfectly created in God's image, why do I feel the need to do this every morning? Even the word itself makes me inwardly recoil: makeup. Am I using this stuff to "make up" the image I wish I was? Ugh. Or am I just "accenting" what the Lord has given me? I try to talk myself into believing the second option, because that doesn't incriminate me as being dissatisfied with God's creation.
There are days when I look in the mirror and think "Dang, girl! You lookin pretty fine!" and skip the make up and feel wonderful. But there are also days when I look in the mirror and think "Oh boy..." before attempting to paint on some confidence.
So what do I do on those days?
Do you remember how I barely wore make up one summer when I lived with you? I basically did it because I wanted to be able to fully accept my own face for what it was. Now when I look at make up, I don't see a way to cover up or hide anything, but a way to have fun, be artistic, and well...girly. :-)
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