I started this blog almost a year ago but my love for makeup goes way beyond that. I was the kid who secretly retouched her lipstick after a school performance was over and the bride who silently missed her falsies once the wedding festivities gave way to the daily grind. Between the two phases, I was the teenager with blemished skin, whose peers were as prejudiced as you would expect kids that age to be at recognising the beauty that lies beneath the temporary curtain of pimples. This is how I was introduced to the world of foundations and concealers when I started attending college.
For the longest time, I believed that most skincare products were either ineffective or way beyond my budget. This skewed perception was perhaps caused by poor experiences with certain anti-acne drugstore products as a young kid who didn’t know her salicylic acid from her benzoyl peroxide, and also by the impatience I developed over the years that caused me to reject a lot of products if they didn’t show visible results within a week or so.
When I started blogging, it was primarily to share what I had learnt about makeup and skincare over the years with whoever cared to listen, but in the process, I also stumbled upon great bloggers who offered amazing product recommendations and some lesser known skincare brands who were just starting out but their products were way more effective than the big names in the industry. Thus began a tryst with skincare that made me fall in love with the lotions and potions, the exfoliating acids and soothing gels that actually started to improve the texture of my skin with time. After around 6 months or so, I reached a point where I was completely comfortable stepping out of the house sans makeup, a first for me in my adult life.
It was not just the efficacy of these new skincare products that I discovered but also the newfound patience that came with age, and the fact that I actually starting enjoying my 5 step skincare routine that enabled me to step out of the house without a drop of foundation on my face. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my makeup, but it is now more of a choice and a creative outlet than a daily chore or a self-imposed obligation.
I am extremely grateful for the messages I receive on Instagram asking for product recommendations. Some of these kind followers are brides to be while others are those in their late 20’s who are looking for ways to fight those fine lines. Most of the inquiries that I get are for skincare products, not for that perfect lipstick shade or the best foundation. This means that at the end of the day, almost everybody wants to enhance and celebrate their natural beauty. Makeup does add a special touch for certain occasions by providing a hint of sparkle and a dash of colour but will never look as good if you do not take care of your skin. This is the biggest lesson I have learnt in my one year as a beauty blogger and this is the message that I wish to propagate among all the girls who are struggling to meet the so-called “standards of beauty”.
At the end of the day, I know that I may never get rid of those dark circles completely or may never have perfectly flawless skin, but what the lovely women of substance I follow on WordPress and Instagram have taught me is that I am still beautiful, with or without makeup, and so are you!
All images are taken from Pixabay.