There is a strange moment at the end of every night routine. The mascara smudges and the foundation fades, with just one wipe, a stranger is looking back at you. It isn’t you, or at least it doesn’t look it. We spend so much time creating our image, and anything that doesn’t fit that narrative can quickly become uncomfortable.
Just like making your bed or brushing your teeth, applying makeup can become routine like anything else. Wearing it daily, you often become accustomed to that version of yourself, the one with even skin, a sculpted face and defined lips. Over time, that becomes the reflection you know, the one that the world knows. It is what everyone sees you as, so when it all comes off, who are you? The bare face looking back at you can seem unfamiliar, but that discomfort doesn’t mean that your natural self has lost its beauty, just that you’ve forgotten what it looks like.
Your brain grows accustomed to repeated images. This made-up version is all you see from first thing in the morning to the final moments at night, and the familiarity is comforting. But you can break this, just as you have learned to love yourself with a full face on, you can relearn to love the natural one.
Your natural face does not need to be covered up. It is how you were always meant to look, and while makeup can enhance your beauty, you never even needed it in the first place. It will take time to feel this way again, because it is not just about a bare face, but self-acceptance. First, focus on skincare to feel more confident in your natural skin. Then gradually begin wearing less and less makeup in low-stakes situations. It will initially feel foreign; every reflection will look unfamiliar, but different is no match against repetition.
Grow to love the way you look, and while makeup is a beautiful way to create confidence or self-expression, it is important to remember that wiping it away does not erase your value. It simply shows the authentic version of yourself, which is just as deserving to be seen.
So the next time you meet this unfamiliar face in the mirror, before you cover it up or begin to critique it, pause for a second. This is you, and this face has been yours long before any concealer, contour or lipstick. With time and acceptance, it becomes real again. This is no stranger. Learn to fall in love with this version of yourself; it is absolutely enough.
Feeling beautiful bare-faced? Share your natural look with us on Instagram @VALLEYMag!
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