Best face forward

Would you go out of the house without make-up on? Are you brave enough to meet up with your friends without a puff of powder? How about heading out on a date without a coat of mascara? I wouldn’t. I’m not. And no way! I’ve met many women of all different ages over the years who happily waltz out of the front door and into the world without a scrap of make-up on their faces. And I don’t know how they do it. I admire them for it, and I even envy the amount of time they save every day by not putting on a layer of foundation. But no matter how much time I’d gain or how lovely my skin would feel out in the fresh air, I still couldn’t go out for a day without make-up. Could you?

I wouldn’t say that I’m overly vain – I can go for years without a haircut (two years until last summer!) and months without highlights (7 months and counting), but a whole day without makeup? I’m sorry, it can’t be done. I’m not saying that my makeup is perfect or that I have mastered the art the perfect eyeliner or glossy pout (in fact these techniques are completely beyond my abilities, especially early in the morning!). I’ll usually give anything fiddly a miss, so really I’m only taking about a covering of foundation and a little mascara – it doesn’t need to be a lot but it does need to be there.

So in what circumstances would I not wear makeup? Well, I’m perfectly comfortable sitting here at my computer, typing this for all the world to see whilst wearing my slouchy jumper, big specs and foundation-free face (there might even be a mucky smudge of last nights mascara around my eyes, gross I know) because you can’t see me. Hurrah for the internet, three cheers for working from home and a massive whoop for all the miles between us. Because I’m sure that if you popped by to see me right now, I’d be running in the opposite direction covering my face with hands and yelping ‘don’t look at me’. I worry too much what other’s think – although not enough to get my hair done, yikes it’s a mess! – but more importantly, I worry what I think about me.

Okay, I might be going a little over the top here. I will put the bins out and hang the washing on the line without any prior grooming and I’ll happily let my husband wake up next to my make-up-free face. I’ll even accept a parcel from the postman before the make-up goes on, but that’s about it. If I’m going out anywhere my eyelashes will be mascaraed and my dark circles concealed. I’m not a full-face-of-trowelled-on-make-up kinda girl but I’m definitely a BB Cream, concealer and mascara woman. So it’s not a thick coverage I’m after and I’m not wearing a mask (although it does protect my skin as all my products have SPF!), but I am trying to look my best – and what’s wrong with that? It’s getting more and more difficult to look my best as the years roll by and I’d like to carry on creating a good impression before my skin lets me down completely!

I already know I naturally look a bit rough and unwell without make-up. ‘She’s so pale, is she anemic?’ was a favourite with teachers back at school, I’m often asked ‘are you tired?’ and due to my blonde eyelashes ‘you look ill’ is a regular phrase. I used to be able to get out of lessons by rocking up without makeup and feigning a sore tummy – no one would think that this pale, tired girl was making it up because she looks so unwell. I still embrace my paleness and never use fake-tan or bronzer, but a little swish of blusher is the difference between ‘you’re looking well’ and ‘do you need to go to the doctors?’.

And this is exactly the point of make-up in my opinion. I’m sure that no-one would even notice when I am wearing make-up because I don’t pile it on, I just subtly enhance what I’ve got and cover up the bits that I know aren’t so great. Make up can actually highlight your naturally good features – eye colour can look more vivid with the correct shade of shadow and a smile can look whiter and brighter with the right lipstick – just use it to bring out the good bits if you must! I’m such a perfectionist and ever since I discovered mascara in my teens and found out that I could improve the bits I didn’t like, I’ve been covering my face in anything within my price-range. And I think make-up is one of the better inventions of humankind. Okay, that was a bit tongue-in-blushered-cheek but it’s great that I can look the best I possibly can with only a few cheap products. Why would I not want to look my best? A smile goes a long way too but it can’t hide my pimples so that is why I’m getting my face on everytime I leave the house and I bet I’m not the only one..!