Back in 8^th grade and freshman year, I caked my face in makeup every day. I’m talking about big, fake eyebrows, heavy eye makeup, and 10 layers of foundation among other face products. Every makeup product you could think of, I wore every single day. Now that I’m a junior, I haven’t worn makeup for an entire year and the benefits are actually crazy.

Let me give you a run-down of what exactly I wore so you can get a better idea of how intense it really was. I did my eyebrows very dramatically, with lots of different eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and concealer, primer, foundation, setting powder, contour, highlight, and blush for my face. If I really wanted it to stay on all day, I would set it with a setting spray also.

This wasn’t just the makeup I’d wear going out, this was an everyday thing for me. As you can imagine, that much makeup made my face break out pretty bad. Because I had pimples from the makeup, I had to keep covering it even more makeup because now I looked even worse. It was a loop of makeup causing me to break out, then using it again to cover the break out.

There were many things that drove me to stop wearing makeup. For starters, I only felt pretty when I had it on. I never went makeup-free because I felt that no matter what situation, I needed makeup to cover myself up and feel pretty. I didn’t want to rely on makeup to feel that way anymore; I wanted to be confident with what I really looked like. Makeup was ruining my self-esteem.

Additionally, it took up way too much of my time.  I had to wake up early and miss sleep. I couldn’t just walk out the door and go somewhere, I had to take an hour or more to do makeup first. The whole time spent was always stressful as I worked to make it perfect. By the end of the day, however, it had all worn or sweated off anyways and just looked bad. There were times where it would rain or be really hot and all the makeup would just wipe off.

For how expensive makeup is and how often I bought it, it never lasted as long or good as it should. If you hugged someone, your face wiped off. If you take a nap, it ruins. If you accidentally touched your face during the day, it all came apart. All of my money was going to this makeup that consumed everything I did and I wasn’t okay with it anymore.

But the most important reason I stopped wearing makeup was that I just wanted pretty skin.

Once I stopped wearing makeup, my skin started clearing up after just a month. Now, after a year, my skin is clear and glowing. Letting your skin breathe lets your pores have a break from being clogged and gives you a much better chance of getting rid of acne. Along with that, it also looks way more natural, soft, and less cakey and thick.

My confidence has also increased dramatically. After a while of not covering myself up, I began to love what I actually looked like. I felt more myself and I could leave the house or go to an event without feeling like I’ll only look pretty if I put on makeup first. I didn’t have to take 10 hours to put makeup on before leaving anymore, because I felt comfortable with my bare face.

My money finally went to things other than makeup and I wasn’t constantly stressed about how perfect it always looked. I could sleep in, I could buy other things I wanted, I didn’t have to worry about something ruining how I looked.

In the end, I was restricted a lot less. I felt more free and comfortable and was able to let go of thinking I was only pretty with makeup covering my face. And the best part, my skin became so beautiful and clear.

Makeup is a fun way of expression, can help you feel happier, and is definitely okay to wear on a daily basis. But giving your skin a break and exploring how you feel without it can benefit you in so many ways.