....is beauty in the make-up?????????????

…not everyone would agree…but I do consider myself low maintenance…..yes I know I can be demanding & controlling….in & outta the bedroom..hehe…but for the most part as I have matured…that’s a nice way to say I am mellowing out a bit as I get older….I..... like so many women  don’t consider myself beautiful…

....I have struggled a lifetime  looking in the mirror while I hurl mental insults at my reflection…. my love candles….my thin lips…saggy boobies..wrinkles…etc..etc..etc….so many women of all ages complain about their appearance…..I have to say as the years go by I have a new found appreciation for myself….I think I have finally come to the realization that what is truly important is not how I “think” I look. But how I feel …about my appearance as well as my inner self…..

..I started wearing make up in high school….I don’t really remember wearing a lot …but my trusty concealer could mask any zit….eye liner..mascara & some eye shadow would take my eyes from squinty to beautiful in like 20 minutes or less…..I started wearing lip color years later….as a young lady I realized I had very thin lips like my mom…..so I would use lip liner &  all of a sudden I have lips!  My makeup collection grew as my self-esteem shrank…..in my mind I thought makeup helped….

…the years since I started my long time love affair with make-up my routine has evolved…..the days of the orange make-up line on my neck are  gone…..my thin eyebrows that I used to fill in w/ a pencil have bushed up a bit over the years…..now in my 50’s it is far more important to use potions & creams that hydrate my shin so I have the youthful dewy glow…lol

….I have never been one of those gals who wouldn’t dare to be seen w/o her face on…I know lots of chicks who can’t be seen anywhere w/o their “face on”…up until a couple of years ago my make-up routine was pretty basic…unless of course I was going out on the town & had to vamp it up… then when I turned 50…I shaved my head & somehow my make up just didn’t look right w/ a bald head…..so I stopped wearing it….I would occasionally   wear some mascara…but for the most part the last couple of years it just been moisturizer & lip stuff….

…ya know studies have found that you can look at someone’s face for like 150 milliseconds & decide their beauty…I always thought that guys liked  chicks w/o make up….they dig chicks who were naturally beautiful……I think most guys would so agree…..but yet it seems that fellas are more attracted to chicks with makeup….is this why chicks feel overly stressed about their appearance..or maybe even think they have to wear makeup to be accepted into society’s idea of beauty…

.... seems like life is a beauty competition…chicks are so nasty regarding other gals appearance….our culture seems to be a “makeover” society…..we feel pressure to improve ourselves in one way or another ….I am all about improving myself….but because I wanna…not because we gals feel we have no choice in order to fit in…that’s a crock of shit…

….I am not against makeup..I love all that girly stuff…..I am just against the idea that you “have” to change your face to feel beautiful…lots of celebrities have posted photos of themselves w/o any make up…how cool is that….so I wonder….as we age…does going bare faced  make us feel more or less confident…..or authentic…..at what point do we are women say enough is enough…no longer will we buy into such rigorous standards & expectations of our appearance….the importance of feeling confident in a crazy ass world were gals are bombarded w/ images on Tv..magazines..etc….telling us how young..thin..beautiful is better than anything else……what about embracing your age in a positive manner if it makes ya happy.

...I’m not sure if its because I don’t really wear make up or if it’s a shift of consciousness...or if as I get older I realize my value as a person..but the last couple of years I have learned....you look the way you look...you either accept...embrace & celebrate your beauty....or layer on the war paint in hopes you  see the look you seek.......make up can defiantly function as a confidence boost....bottom line..its not about covering up our imperfections....its about enhancing our natural beauty.