I Always Wear Makeup

I pretty much always wear makeup. Much to my chagrin, this is bizarre-o to some folks.

I’m a big believer in people expressing themselves in a way that makes them feel like them. For me, that’s long wavy hair, a floral maxi dress, and yes, a full face of makeup.

Am I even me if I’m not wearing mascara?

It’s not lost on me that I’m my daughter’s first role model. So when fellow moms chastise me for wearing makeup and share their concerns about the unhealthy image of beauty I’m crafting for Henley – I understand their perspective. But, I see it a bit differently. Wearing makeup makes me feel better, in the same way, eating healthy and working out do. Shouldn’t I give Henley the true version of me?

I don’t need (or want!) Henley to be a carbon copy of me. I hope to teach her self-worth isn’t tied to whether someone perceives her as beautiful or not. But I also hope she feels comfortable expressing herself and doesn’t ever feel the need to apologize for liking, not liking, or only sometimes liking makeup. (If you’re saying, who even cares, I’m with you, but “glam-shaming” is real.)

I believe it’s possible to raise a happy, healthy child, while also being a glam mom.

After all, my own glam mom raised four girls, and we’re a mix of never, rarely, sometimes, and always on the makeup front.

In high school, my go-to weekend look was a messy pony, an oversized t-shirt, and Soffe shorts (because hello 2001). My mom, however, was (and is) completely put-together on the daily. One day, a friend came to pick me up, and my mom was sitting on her bathroom counter with rollers in her hair, doing her makeup. My friend asked about her plans, and she said, “I’ve got some laundry and All My Children.” Classic. My friend couldn’t believe my mom got ready just to be at home and I’ll admit, I didn’t quite get it either until I was about 22.

It seemed as if overnight my skin went from youthful glow to raging fire. I joined my mom in having quite the case of rosacea. A decade later, my sensitive skin flares at even the slightest hint of heat, and a sip of red wine – forget about it.

Wearing makeup makes me feel like me again no matter where I am. And it lets people focus on me, not my skin condition.

That’s the great thing about makeup – it lets you be the person you feel inside to the rest of the world. So, yep, I always wear makeup. And, my daughter’s going to be just fine.

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