I started wearing light makeup to school, inner corner highlights, mascara, and concealer on days I got little sleep. Insecurities lurked at my fingertips each time I went to take a photo while barefaced. Suddenly I stopped and thought, the makeup that I told myself I would only do once, I started doing daily. I went to the second floor girls bathroom 15 minutes before homeroom. Not to use the bathroom before class, but to double check that my mascara had not yet flaked on me. While pushing past the dozen girls doing the exact same thing as me, I overheard a conversation between two girls behind me.

“…I don’t know. I just don’t feel pretty without makeup on..” said one to my left. “Yeah, same. I can’t leave the house without something on my face,” said the other. 

I realized how much our external appearance can dictate our mind, and how subtle changes can still influence how you think. 

The reality of a teenage girl is automatically having the expectations of being perfect, pretty, and poise; the fear of not being enough, but also not being too much. Self esteem is an important part of life, and it forms when you’re starting to find yourself. At this age you discover the beauty of makeup, and ultimately, hiding your “flaws.” Young adults in our society do this to match and fit into today’s beauty standards. Three out of five girls, 16 years old and younger, admit to wearing makeup, with 15 percent starting between ages eight through ten, according to the Renfrew Center Foundation. 

Wearing makeup does not equate to hating yourself or looks, it could be used as a form of self expression, or to accentuate features you like. Junior, and aspiring beautician Annastasia Gomez feels that wearing daily makeup is damaging to those who are not already comfortable with themselves.  

“Wearing makeup everyday is not bad until you begin to rely on it to feel beautiful,” Gomez says. “Feel comfortable with your own beauty first, then accentuate it with makeup, or use it to express yourself.” 

In this day and age, beauty comes in different forms and fonts. Makeup is used to enhance that beauty, not hide it. We need to remember that there is a difference between growing up and glowing up; give your mind and appearance space to evolve, before deciding to change it. Feeling beautiful with your personality and being comfortable with your appearance is something that we need to prioritize.