A few years ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed about leaving the house barefaced. I didn’t wear a full make-up look every day, but foundation and mascara were always a must. If I forgot, I’d be asked if I was poorly – really nice.
Don’t get me wrong: I love going makeup-free. For me, taking my makeup off in the evening is like taking my bra off. But the pandemic has changed my relationship with makeup. I applied it every day in my home office at the beginning, but my motivation to put on makeup just for the camera waned relatively quickly. However, I couldn’t do without it completely, which is why my routine settled somewhere between light foundation and sometimes a little mascara (for very special meetings).
Swapping in lightweight makeup
My go-to products during the pandemic were a light foundation, sometimes a little blush and sometimes mascara. However, I noticed my skin was getting worse and worse. Pimples appeared more regularly, my skin became drier, and my complexion appeared sallow. Of course, this wasn’t just due to the make-up, but much more to the poor diet and lack of exercise during lockdown. So, I decided to go without makeup completely for at least four weeks and focus more on looking after my skin.
Simplifying
Instead of plastering my skin with make-up, I wanted to give it a break and see what happened – both physically and mentally. I no longer want to feel the urge to apply at least a little makeup as soon as I leave the house. So, foundation, mascara, eyeshadow and eyebrow gel ended up in the cupboard until further notice. I was lucky that my skin was in relatively good condition at the start of the experiment, so I had no blemishes or spots to cover up. Suddenly, I had a lot more time in the morning. My routine consisted of washing my face and applying day cream (with SPF).
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“Are you all right? You look sick”
That sentence is one of the reasons I always wear a bit of colour on my face. From the first video meeting of the day, I would be asked that question. But no, I’m not sick, I just have a very light skin colour, light eyelashes and eyebrows and a tendency to turn red immediately when I touch my face.
No wonder so many people hide behind make-up or virtual filters when they are immediately diagnosed with an illness just because they are paler than usual, have redness or dark circles under their eyes. I’m over 30, and these days, I’m completely fine with showing myself in public without make-up. However, when I remember my 16-year-old self being asked if I’d been locked in the cellar for the last few weeks (because of my paleness), I don’t have to wonder for long where my fear of showing myself without make-up comes from.
Maximising skincare
Apart from a few comments – and the realisation that I don’t care about them at all – I also noticed my skin could finally breathe again. My skincare products suddenly worked much better and faster, which was no wonder since everything was previously slapped onto my face in a matter of minutes. The important nutrients of the skincare products were wiped away by my foundation immediately after. One big advantage was that my skin also had plenty of time to absorb nutrients during the day and this was definitely noticeable.
Even though I don’t really care if someone sees me without makeup in the supermarket, there are still days when I want to freshen up my complexion, at least a little. I now only reach for a full face when there’s a very special occasion, and I want to put on my make-up properly. For everyday life, I have found alternatives that don’t make me feel like I’m wearing make-up and still give my face a healthy glow.
Eyelash tinting
While I used to only tint my eyelashes before a vacation, I now regularly reach for a bottle of tint. I just do it myself at home, but if you’re not confident, you can, of course, go to a beauty salon. The advantage is that my eyelashes look darker and stand out better against the colour of my skin. This makes my eyes look bigger and more awake.
Self-tanner
To give my complexion a little more colour, I’ve swapped in self-tanning drops. They can be mixed into my day cream using a pipette to give my complexion a little natural-looking warmth. The pipette makes it very easy to control the intensity.
Skin tints
I’m a big fan of tinted moisturisers because they simply combine everything. First and foremost, they provide skin with nutrients and moisture, but they also protect it from the sun provided you opt for a tinted moisturiser with SPF (which you should always do, by the way). The third advantage is that the slight tint balances redness and discolouration. You can, therefore, achieve a light foundation effect without feeling it.
My conclusion
I love going barefaced – I already knew that before – but this experiment has made it clear that nobody really cares if I’m not wearing it. Strangers don’t know me any differently and those who only know me with make-up simply have to see me without make-up to know that I’m not sick, but simply without make-up.
My skin has noticeably improved and blemishes heal much faster when I leave them uncovered. When I do wear make-up, I really look forward to it, rather than finding it a chore. I sit down in front of the mirror in peace and try out new colours and techniques that I would never have used before. And the best news of all: I no longer have to take my make-up off in the evening (although I’ll still do a single cleanse to rinse away the day).
This feature originally appeared on GLAMOUR Germany.