Makeup

I am 24 years old.  I just started wearing makeup on any sort of consistent basis a little over a year ago.  I didn't care about it in Jr. High, and in High School I only really wore makeup for dances or other special sorts of occasions.  Let's be honest-I didn't care a whole lot about my appearance in general at that point.  I was in Marching Band, and during competitions makeup wasn't allowed.  I probably used that as an excuse to a certain extent, even with myself, because it would mess up my "routine" to do makeup some days but not others.  I didn't have any kind of routine, so I can honestly say that was a bunch of bull shit.

However, I vividly remember girls complaining in Marching Band about how "ugly" they looked for competitions, or on trips for church (Mexicali, Quaker Meadow, Mammoth) when girls would complain about people seeing them before they had "beautified" themselves.  At that point, I thought they were ridiculous.  I thought they were vain, and to a certain extent they probably were, but I kind of get it now.

Tonight, for the first time, I looked closely at my face before I cleaned off the makeup.  Again, after I removed the makeup, I looked closely again.  It is starting to make more sense to me why these girls felt that way.  I am so used to seeing my "made-up" face, that it's hard for me to like looking at my plain, albeit God-given, face.

I wear makeup to make myself look and feel more professional, because as a 24-year-old teacher, I'm still young.  The kids are aware that I'm young (well, maybe not the Preschoolers, but the 6th graders do!).  They ask me questions about pop culture and expect me to know what they're talking about and react positively.  They expect my age to mean I'm hip.  Is that even a word anymore?  Whatever.  I use makeup as a differentiating tool.  I am not their peer.  They need to know that, and I need to know that.  For me, makeup is about making myself presentable as an adult teacher.

Yes, of course, it has become a habit.  I do wear makeup on the weekends, too.  I'm not saying that there isn't even a hint of vanity in my reasons for wearing makeup.  That's there, too.  But primarily, I wear makeup because I was told to do so in one of my classes.  A professor (or visiting speaker?) told the girls in my class that wearing makeup (and doing it properly) would help set us apart from our students.  Sure, she probably meant High Schoolers.  I still think it's valuable.

Anyways, what do you guys think?  Is make up pointless?  Is it totally worthwhile?  Do you use it?  What are your reasons for using it, or not using it?  Do you feel different when you wear it?  Do you feel different about yourself when you wear it?  Or when you take it off?

Just some thoughts.  And, to finish it off...

Girls, you are beautiful the way God made you.  You don't need makeup.  Wear it only if you choose to for your own reasons, not because our society tells you it's important-it's not!  You are!  =)