Day 3: Making Peace with your Face

From November 4th-13th my blog is hosting the experiences of 10 different women through the BYU Women's Services and Resources Recapturing Beauty campaign. Go here or here to read more about the 10-day challenge.

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Kylie here! You guys hear from me all the time, but just some basics in case you're new (and welcome!)....I'm Gilbert, AZ born and raised, and a junior at BYU studying Elementary Education. I love cooking, my roommates, Christmas, and scifi novels. 

I chose to do Day 3: Making Peace with your Face, because I knew it would be the hardest for me, and I was feeling brave at the time. If I'm being honest though, posting this makeup-less picture of me a little later in the post is still a little bit scary. 

I've always been insecure about my skin. I've always had acne, and no product that I've used has cleared my skin without making it excessively dry at the same time. Even when I don't have a lot of zits, my skin is unclear and marked from acne scars. My makeup routine isn't very intense, and it really only takes about 5-10 minutes every morning to complete, but it always, always, always includes a layer of foundation cream to even out my complexion. Every day, without fail.

On the day of this challenge I went to work and school with no makeup up on, and instead of hiding behind glasses, a ponytail, and sweatshirt like I wanted to, I decided to try rocking an outfit that I would on any other day. No hiding allowed. I was apprehensive at first. I didn't feel like talking to new people. I didn't feel as outgoing with the people I helped at work. When guys in my office talked to me, I thought, "No point in flirting with them, because I don't look good today anyways." 

And then somewhere in the middle of the day, I forgot about the challenge. I had a lot going on in the day, and I simply forgot I wasn't wearing makeup. I forgot that there was something making this day different than any other. And that's when I realized, make-up or not, I still felt like me. I didn't look the way I normally would have. I had visible acne on my cheeks and neck, and my eyebrows probably looked a little uneven without me filling them in. My eyes were lighter, and the bags under them more apparent. But when I got so busy with my day that I forgot about the differences, I suddenly regained my normal energy and happiness, and I came back to myself. 

That's when it clicked with me that whether people look at me and think, "Wow, she didn't take any time getting ready this morning," or "She's beautiful," doesn't make a difference in who I am. Wearing make-up isn't bad. I'm definitely going to keep wearing it every day. But I like this philosophy I heard a long time ago:



Our relationship with makeup shouldn't be about covering anything up, it should be about accenting the things we love about our face. And even though not wearing makeup today might make you feel a little naked, a little more vulnerable, and, at first, a little bit less like yourself, I challenge you to let go of that safety blanket and quit hiding. Because, "Maybe it's NOT Maybelline. Maybe you were just born with it." (Mandy Hale.) And you are you, no matter how little makeup you're wearing. 

100% make-up free. And that smile is real too.

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Tomorrow's Challenge: Making Peace with your Weight.

We want to hear about your experiences as well!
Tweet or Instagram with the hashtag #RecapturingBeauty about your journey over the next 10 days! You can follow @wsrbyu on Instagram and @byuwsr on Twitter, or me at @kylieinthesky on both. Or leave a comment on this blog post!

If you're also blogging about the Body Image Challenge, we want to see it! Add your post below and link back to this one so we can all share this experience together!