How to bear baring it all. The pains and sufferings of a repressed makeup addict

#How to bear baring it all. The pains and sufferings of a repressed makeup addict

I awoke today as I do every other, with a solid hatred for morning’s and a sudden urgent craving for gingerbread flavoured green tea.

Usually I would wake and, avoiding the mirror, head straight to my awaiting make up bag, smiling and knowing that all would be ok, with just a few swift movements of a make up brush and eye liner pen. My face perfectly re-applied and normal(ish) looking.

Not today. Today I rolled lazily out of bed and reaching for the mirror thought ‘Oh crap. Today I have to half the number of beauty products I use…and the Lord has blessed me with a spot. TYPICAL!’

I don’t have bad skin. It’s usually pretty clear. The real issue is I’m as white as a piece of printer paper and as a result any stress, fatigue or blemish shines out from my face with a beacon stating ‘LOOK AT ME’. A flash of colour in an otherwise white and barren wasteland of average twenty-something skin.

I was not appointed with the glowing olive skin of my siblings, much to their amusement when as they brown almost instantly when sun bathing I lie there frowning and pasty- the chronic ice-queen.

My makeup habits tend to lean towards the artificial; I cover myself in bronzer and blusher attempting to create some form of life in my corpse like face – but today this was on ban. So in realisation of this  I’m sorry to confess that this morning  the gingerbread flavoured green tea was discarded for something stronger.

Skin care is something I will never scrimp on and cutting down on my cosmetic usage only further supports the importance of taking care of the blank canvas so to speak. I exfoliate with LUSH Ocean Salt (which is Alcohol free, by the way! BROWNIE POINTS right there!), cleanse and tone my skin with their ‘Breath of Fresh Air- Toner Water ‘, and ‘Ultrabland‘, before lightly applying ‘Celestial‘. My skin feels great. Usually I would slather myself in moisturizer to create a dewy base for the mountains of foundation I would pile on, but seeing as I am using less now, I don’t need to over-hydrate my skin and, I prefer it. (SHOCKER!)

I apply a light base of foundation before using mascara, concealer and doing a very minimal contour with my Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Pallette (my contour-god product!) and quickly step away from the cosmetics before I get carried away!

Clutching my soya chai latte I took a deep breathe and assessed the damage. OKAY, so I look like I was perhaps raised in Iceland but, actually its not that bad… I guess this could  be called a ‘seasonal look’, I sure look pretty cold. But really, I can appreciate the wonders of the products I do use more so now. I can see that actually one pea sized amount of foundation does go a hell of long way, and that I should really try a new concealer, this one is much too dark.

The verdict. This is hard, but it so worth it. Give it a go!

PROS:

1.  Cutting down on the number of products you use forces you to be more selective about what you use – this means you can invest in better quality and ethical products.
2.  You become more aware now of how much makeup you actually use and become more stingey with it, this helps you skin and you bank balance!
3. When you go all out now and make a  real effort with your makeup at least people will notice the difference
4. Your getting ready time is halved, pleasing parents, boyfriends, and taxi drivers.
5. You become more comfortable in your own skin, confidently being the real au natural you!

CONS:

1. If you are a real makeup addict like me you feel deprived. unable to experiment and really make a meal out of applying your face.
2. You have to get used to seeing the ‘au natural’ version of yourself in mirrors and shop windows, a bit of surprise when you forget what you have done – not for the faint hearted!

But these are just silly.

Do it! Join me in my fight against makeup addiction!… or at least just surpress it until the weekend! #BETHEBESTYOU #EMCAMPAIGN15

 

DISCLAIMER:  I am not sponsored or affiliated with any companies, all opinions are my own and all products are self-bought.