No make-up for me.

As I have seen several things, including videos and articles on beauty, it has really been pressed on my heart to talk about why I no longer wear make-up. And haven't. For a very long time.

From the time that I was in seventh and eighth grade until I was a freshman in high school, I put on make-up every single day. Every day foundation, eyeliner, eye shadow, lip gloss - the whole shebang would be caked on my face.

But the reason that I wore it was this: I thought that I was ugly. (If you read this article, you would understand why.) Actually, I thought that I was really ugly. And a lot of other things that I still wrestle with, but partially that. So what else to do but put on that mask?

I call it a mask because that is exactly what it was for me: I wanted to cover up my "ugliness" so that I could feel beautiful for the small amount of time that I wore it.

Thing is (and this has taken years - and I mean years - for me to have realized), it has always been difficult for me to view myself as beautiful, flaws and all. But it wasn't until I came to know Christ (part of that story is also in the linked article above) that I could see my real beauty (which I wrote another article about a few years back).

For me, it became an issue, devaluing who I was created to be. I did not view myself that way and hid who I was with it because I did not see what God saw every time that He looked at me.

But now I do, at least for the most part. So I stopped wearing the make-up every day. I stopped trying to cover up my flaws because I knew that it was okay to be flawed. Obviously, there are times that I don't entirely believe that, but then I look to the truth that God says about me and is clearly seen on my face: I am an image-bearer of Christ. There is Christ in me. He is the One that makes me beautiful.

NOTE: I am not, by any means, saying that I hate make-up, or that I think it's bad. I just don't and haven't liked it for myself for the reasons noted above.

The last time that I wore it was for my sister's wedding... two years ago. And by the time that the wedding was over, I wiped it all off because my face was bothered by it. Ha. I've worn a little lipstick every now and then, plus cake make-up for plays (to which I, and every single person that's ever been in a play, say "YUCK" to), but other than that zero, zip, nada make-up for this gal!

And it's been really, really freeing. And it feels good to see myself the way that I should.