Do you dare to go Bare?

One of my favourite awesome people at Women24, Lili Radloff, wrote this column recently and challenged women to go barefaced.

My Mom has this thing about “Never leave the house without earrings or Lipstick”.  In fact, I risked getting fired when I was working in Hospitality when a really strange boss wouldn’t let any of his Public Facing staff wear earrings and I simply refused to take my small, unoffensive pearls out.  (and No, I wasn’t working with food at all)

Then I moved on to work in Corporate, then Not and now I’m back in Corporate.  In the Not time I didn’t wear make-up at all.  I couldn’t be asked, and it really didn’t bother me.  My only concession was Lippy.  I did initially feel a little guilty about subjecting the other Moms to Barefaced Me, but promptly got over that.

In The Time Before Children I had money to spend on expensive make-up, but these days I just smack on some base, lipstick, eyeliner and mascara as I’m running out the door and only on week-days.

I don’t wear make-up because I have to, I wear make-up because I like to.  Maybe it’s because I’ve survived the gauntlet of nappies and vomit and breastfeeding and sleepless nights (mostly).  I’m slowly but surely reclaiming ME after all that pregnancy and childbirth silliness.  I like being girly.  Make-up is part of the package, like wearing nail varnish, a nice necklace or bracelet, which I only started wearing recently again as now none of my kids will be ripping them off my neck.  And nail varnish (in all colours) has become a standard expense in our house.

You know what is more important to me?  Taking care of my skin.  My Mom had me wear eye cream from the age of 21 and learnt me respect for the sun. You only have good skin when you are young, it is up to you to take care of it.  (at the risk of sounding like my Mother)

So, I don’t mind the girliness of it all as long as it is in moderation and I would rather be teaching the kids to take care of their skins and be comfortable in their skins.  And I  won’t force them to wear any form of make-up if that’s what makes them happy.

All that matters in the end is that they are happy.