By: Ella Bland, Teen to Teen Contributor
It’s something that has always bothered me – how makeup, initially designed to enhance our beauty and make us feel our best, has evolved into a requirement to leave the house, making many feel the need to hide their true selves behind layers of cosmetics. It’s similar to concealing the secrets we hold close, those unique aspects of ourselves we fear judgment for revealing.
My First Exposure to Makeup
One of the gateways to being a teenage girl is makeup. Every girl gets some kind of kit when they’re little, brimming with bright colors and glitter. It’s so pretty and fun; you don’t understand the concept of “covering up flaws.” Young girls just add to their shine at that point in life. I remember my first makeup box. It had blue eyeliner, bright red lipstick, and every shade of eyeshadow I could dream of wearing. I wore it around the house but never out. I knew I didn’t need it, but it was so much fun to pretend. I felt like a star playing a part in a movie.
As I continued to explore makeup, it remained an enjoyable pastime. When going to the mall with my mom or friends, I would occasionally apply a touch of mascara. It was innocent, just mascara, and it felt like my secret indulgence I chose to keep hidden.
How My Makeup Changed
However, secrets tend to take on a life of their own as we expose ourselves to makeup tutorials, beauty advertisements, and social media influencers – something shifts within us. We are instructed to “even out our skin” with foundation, “brighten our face” with highlighter, and mask our challenges with a lip-glossed smile. Concealer becomes our confidant, dedicated to “covering up flaws.” These “flaws” are very personal, like a secret, something hidden for fear of judgment. Initially, imperfections seem minor, like an occasional pimple. But soon, they expand to include scars, under-eye bags, and small imperfections like the redness near your nose. Concealer becomes a daily companion, covering things that no one but you would even notice or care about.
These days, concealer has become my daily companion. I find myself reaching for makeup on a near-daily basis. Makeup used to be super fun and all, you know? But now it has to hide these annoying blemishes and imperfections. It’s not even about being all glam anymore; it’s this crazy mission to look flawless. It’s so tough to keep feeling awesome about yourself and your inner beauty. Can we just go back to the time when makeup was just, like, pure fun and not this whole stressfest?
How I Try to Keep It Real
Okay, so just as makeup hides the obvious flaws on our faces, we all have these deeper issues and challenges in our lives. It’s kind of like trying to hide a surprise pregnancy. We might wanna keep it on the down-low, but that’s not the solution. Instead of stressing about hiding our so-called “flaws,” we gotta learn to be real and accept who we truly are.
It’s not cool to cover up the truth, just like you wouldn’t try to hide a pregnancy with tons of clothes. We need to let our stories shine and be honest about who we are and the tough stuff we’re going through. So the next time you are going to run to the store, leave your makeup in its bag. Your scars, eye bags, and redness by your nose give hints to who you are, and nothing about who you are is anything less than perfect. Embracing our true selves, flaws, and everything, that’s what real beauty is all about. Keep it genuine, peeps! ✌️💖
Teen To Teen is a series of blogs written by teen authors for teens on topics that matter most to them. Please Note: “Teen to Teen” should be considered peer-to-peer advice and support. It is not given in place of professional consult or care.
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