People often struggle to understand my extensive love for makeup—how hours spent perusing the aisles of Sephora feels like minutes to me, and the sacrificing of sleep in the mornings to primp for the day doesn’t faze me one bit.
Now I know I’m far from being considered a makeup pro, but I can’t help but cringe when thinking about the early days of experimentation when eyeliner was not on point and brows were not on fleek.
In the beginning, I felt awkward and uncomfortable rocking makeup at school, and even NARS’ Radiant Creamy Concealer (which I swear by) couldn’t mask my insecurities. I often felt discouraged when attempts at imitating gorgeous looks I saw on Instagram fell short, and I never dared to try a bold red lip in fear of the color clashing with my warm-toned skin. Ironically, even with the makeup, I felt like an ugly duckling in a world of beautiful, perfectly made-up swans. However, with time I’ve come to realize that makeup is simply a form of self-expression. Nothing more, nothing less. I was afraid of what people would think about my cosmetic decisions when I really shouldn’t have. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s about having confidence in who you are both inside and out.
Ultimately, makeup is a personal choice — it’s my choice, and should be my choice only. Deep down, I really do enjoy putting on makeup and how it makes me feel, which is what really matters. So the next time someone tells me that I wear “too much” or that I’m overdoing it, I’ll just pop some extra highlighter on my cheeks and shine bright like the diamond I know I am.
TCHS School Newspaper