I have lived in two worlds.
The first was the small town in Wyoming where I grew up—not known for its high fashion. If I wore a dress to high school, my friends asked if I was going to a funeral. The way to really dress up in Wyoming was to wear your good jeans. So I wore a little makeup during my teenage years but not much. I do remember sneaking eyeliner to middle school (sorry, Mom).
Then I went to college in the heart of Texas, at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and there was a new world where handbag matched shoes matched purse matched lipstick. I felt like Meg, of Little Women, spending a whole fortnight out of place in the luxurious home of Annie Moffat. It was the era of big Texas hair, so I bought rollers, which I didn’t know how to use, and made myself a frizzy messy. I didn’t even carry a purse, which my boyfriend pointed out as odd. I owned no lipstick.
So I began the pursuit of makeup, and this carried well into my getting-older years and was encouraged by my attendance at home makeup parties. I learned I must have a different moisturizer for my eyelids than for the rest of my face. I needed this bottle and this bottle and this bottle to prepare my skin before bed. (That will be $150, please.) And I needed the moisturizer to go on before the lipstick. Isn’t this lipstick color nice for summer? And this color for winter? And this color for when I’m skiing? (There is no lipstick color for when one is reading a book, I’ll point out.)
One day I shook myself awake and admitted that my checkbook balance did not match my Mary Kay wish list total.
So I asked myself a question. What if I wore minimal makeup? What if I bought only a very few items and came to grips with the fact that this face was going to look forty when I was forty and fifty when I was fifty and sixty when I was sixty?
So when the mascara got old, I threw it away and didn’t buy anymore. (Now I do this ridiculous trick where I blow dry my mascara curler for a few seconds to get it hot before curling my lashes. Vain but thrifty!) I stopped wearing eye shadow, and I save the little sample chapsticks from the dentist for my only lip cover.
Here’s a picture of me with thrifty, minimal makeup. Hideous?
I spend $35 a year on makeup—well, maybe not quite that much. I seem to be perfectly content. My husband still thinks I’m beautiful. I’m going on a trip to Texas very soon, so we’ll see if I’m ostracized there. I doubt it.
Amish women live plain, including not spending money on makeup, and I always think they are beautiful women to be admired. A plain, no-makeup face is maybe overlooked when there is a heart full of Christ’s love.
Christy is a writer and pastor’s wife in Kalispell, Montana. She is also the mother of a daughter in college and a son in high school. Read her personal blog at christyfitzwater.com.
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Love it. I stopped wearing make up except for weddings and family pic’s days a while back since my husband always complained whenever I put make up on, and finally I realized if he doesn’t like it and he is the only one I should try to impress with my looks, then why am I wasting my time and money.
Really -if our man doesn’t care about the makeup, why should we try to impress anyone else?
I sooooo agree! =D
Christy, I am with you!! My reason for not wearing makeup? My sister was a mirror/bathroom-hog and I could never get in front of the mirror to “practice,” so I have NO idea (well maybe a small idea) of how to wear/use makeup. I’ve always gotten compliments on my skin/complexion, so I decided to give up the makeup. Now, if I’m dressing up, I’ll throw on some lipstick (my lips have faded since I’ve gotten older) and maybe mascara… if it hasn’t dried out.
I will say that I have 1 daughter that loves to use/play with makeup… and I buy it for her and her sister, but I spend very little (always buy on clearance). I also find tricks that make the makeup last longer (like if your mascara dries out? put in a few drops of eye-drops and it refreshes the mascara).
As a gal who loves to play with makeup, I’ve really come to realize over the past few months how much money I was spending on products that essentially looked the same or had the same effect. I’ve been striving to cut back a lot and be mindful of what I already have.
Yeah, it can become quite an investment!
Keep up the good work, Caitlin! It helps me to hear other women say such things!
I’ve never worn make-up, and my husband likes it! It saves a lot of time and money, and I feel that it helps me be honest about who I really am and how I’m feeling.
I would love to see a poll sometime about husbands’ like/dislike of their wives’ wearing make-up! I can’t imagine anyone actually researching that though.
No kidding -do the guys really care??? And if they don’t, then does that mean we’re wearing makeup to impress our girlfriends? Interesting…
I’ve never worn make-up, my mother always told me to be myself. I also live simple. Nothing fancy in my house.
I never wore and never will wear make-up. What you see is what you get :>) and I am totally happy and content with that.
Cheers,
Jeanneke.
As my Australian friend would say, “Good on ya, Jeanneke!”
I stopped wearing eye make up years ago. I have sensitive skin and it just wasn’t worth the swollen eyes or blotchy skin. I was raised believing the only thing you should put on your face was soap and water and I have rarely has a blemish ever which I credit to this skin care practice.
I love it! A lot of my make-up ran out last summer at about the same time God led me to a Mennonite church. I fell in love with the church and it’s members, so I never bothered to replace it. Soon after I started visiting, I learned that the church itself was non-denominational, but most of the members hold onto to many of the plain ways. I never noticed anyone wearing make-up, and going without mine didn’t bother me in the least. My husband, however, still prefers me to wear my make-up, so after developing a very close friendship with one of the ladies, the opportunity to ask about make-up presented itself. She, who is just a few months out from leaving the Mennonite church, let me know it was quite alright to wear very light make-up. I found the courage to ask about painting my toenails. I nervously awaited her reply knowing I was dumb for even asking. I nearly fell out of my chair with laughter when she texted me a picture of her painted toenails!
What you have to say is interesting. It brings up the point that there is a “makeup culture” in churches sometimes.
I’ve been using none or very little makeup since 2002 and love it. When I first met my hubby to be he asked why I wore makeup. Isn’t that sweet? Since then, I’ve worn very little. I like Bare Minerals if I ever wear any at all, which is maybe a couple of times a year. It’s been quite freeing and great for the pocketbook. So glad you’re trying this too and don’t listen to any naysayers. They just don’t know what they’re missing. Great post. Hugs.
My 20-year-old daughter wears almost no makeup. I don’t either … mostly because I’m home with the kids, and when I do put some on my kids ask, “Where are we going?” LOL!
I enjoyed your thoughts on this subject very much! I went through a time where I was rather torn about this whole make-up thing. But then my husband said he liked me with make-up (whew!) and I let it go with that. A couple of my daughters don’t wear it and a couple do. (I told them the best thing to do was never start…:)
And you sure are beautiful!
Wow! I think you’re beautiful! You’ve inspired me to try to cut back to a more natural look…I’ve been thinking about it anyway but now I’m excited to try.
: )
Thanks, Lyn! You know, when I started cutting back on makeup not a single person noticed -not my husband or friends. And it’s sure nice not to spend the time or the money on something so unnecessary. Maybe by going more natural you’ll give your friends the freedom to do think they can do the same thing!
I have thought about wearing more makeup, but the allergic reactions I have had when I try them, make me thankful that my skin is as good as it is!
Well, today I’m in Texas, and no one has said a thing about my minimal makeup usage, so I think I’m golden!
I spend a lot of money on makeup…more than I should! Thanks for this perspective!