At 32 years old, I am finally actually pretty comfortable with the way I look.
(Yes, I had a birthday last week. No, that's not what's prompting this. At least not that I know of. Hmmm.)
The thing is, I'm so comfortable that I don't bother wearing makeup. Or moisturizer. Or washing my face. Or brushing my hair. And the shirt I'm wearing seems to have a catch in it that may or may not be opening up into a hole.
I'm starting to wonder if maybe this isn't such a good thing.
I've never been a particularly fussy person about appearances, and I'm kind of proud of that. At certain points of my life, I thought it meant I was more serious, less frivolous, and I strongly resisted becoming the kind of girl who primped. For most of my adult life, including when I was working, I found ways to do the minimum that would get me out the door 10 minutes after I fell out of bed and still look professional enough that I wouldn't end up in the principal's office.
For a stay at home mom? The minimum? Is nothing.
How liberating, to not have to care what I look like. There's nobody to worry about being pretty for.
Except, well, me.
Huh.
I'm starting to think that maybe spending a few minutes looking presentable every day is time well spent.
Don't get me wrong. I'm never going to "put on a full face" whatever that means. You will not find me using any appliances on my hair. I am not interested in getting regular manicures, or any skin treatment with a name.
But maybe I should wash my face. And get the knots out of my hair. And tweeze my eyebrows once in a while. And a little color on my lips wouldn't kill anyone.
Because, even though I don't HAVE to, maybe it's something that matters. Maybe taking care of my outward appearance a little bit will make me feel better. And maybe it won't take away from but will add to who I am on the inside.
It's worth a try.
Give it a try! You might be surprised at how you feel, and if you couldn't care less, then right back to doing nothing!
ReplyDeleteI find that using color (aka, applying makeup) is plain old fun. My face is a canvas, and my makeup is the palette. I enjoy it the way I used to enjoy painting or anything else creative. (Ouch, how sad is it for me that putting on makeup is my primary creative endeavor these days?! Must fix that.)
Anyway, I feel more confident when I make the effort to look the way I envision wanting to look in the morning. And increased confidence sometimes (occasionally) leads to increased happiness for me. I hope I don't sound shallow in this comment.
I spend many a day with no makeup and my 2-day hair in a pony tail bun thingy. But the days when I put on a dress (one I can just slip over my head - how easy is that?) and curl my hair (I'll teach you how. So easy), I notice I feel better. I don't know if it's the looking better, or just the time I spent on myself.
ReplyDeleteI say give it a chance. You can always decide it's not for you.
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The days that I take a few extra minutes to make myself a little more presentable are the days that I feel better about myself. It gives me confidence, which in turn makes me feel better about who I am.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth a shot, right?
My gosh I think you're in my head. I've never been one of those girls either. I got my first pedicure only after someone gave me a gift card. It doesn't occur to me to shop for makeup. I don't know how to wear eye makeup. But lately, I've been in a bit of a rut and I find if I take a few minutes to put on a little color, maybe straighten my hair, I feel a little more confident. And the best part is that I'm doing it just for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's totally worth a try. Have you tried it since writing this? (Because I'm a horrible blog-reading friend.) It makes a difference for me, for sure.
ReplyDelete