Confession time. Some of you who know me in real life already know this, but I don’t wear makeup. Like, any.

That’s not to say I don’t mind having fun with it for super special occasions, like my wedding. But otherwise, I wear chapstick at the most. (And that’s only because winters in Wisconsin are miserably dry.) I don’t even wear blush or lipgloss. I can’t remember the last time I did.

In fact, I should probably quickly go throw out the few things I do have as they’re probably all bad by now.

This blog is dedicated to helping moms like you be more yourself, and in line with who you are and what you want your life to look like. In light of that, I felt that I would be remiss if I didn’t dive into some of the more non-obvious ways that I do that in my life. This is one of those ways.

Why the obsession and necessity of makeup? Enough already!

As a blogger, my face and my life is right out there for people to see. I mean, look to the right. There I am! Hi!

I communicate with others in this industry and attend blogging conferences every year. It’s a great way to keep learning and growing as a writer and business owner. And I can tell you that I’ve heard the advice “wear makeup in your blog photo!” several times.

It annoys me every time.

Spoiler alert: I’m not wearing makeup in that photo.

I want to be real with my audience (that’s you)! How can I do that if I am not authentically presenting myself?

Also, what kind of advice is that for anyone? It’s basically saying you’re not good enough on your own. And it’s a blanket statement for all women. I am not okay with that.

Why do we feel that it’s a requirement to wear makeup in order to present our best selves? It’s so ingrained in us we, as women, recommend it to other women!

I don’t believe that I need makeup to convince you to read this blog or trust my words. And if I do, then that is a sad statement about our society.

I really don’t think it matters. Fortunately, there’s a growing number of women out there that think this way. It is just not necessary.

You are beautiful, professional and good enough. Makeup isn’t required for any of those things, no matter what anyone tells you. In reality, most people don’t usually even notice you’re not wearing it unless you normally wear quite a lot every day.

If we want to break this way of thinking for the next generation, we need to start with ourselves. So here are 5 reasons why I don’t wear makeup, and you should feel free to give it up too.

5 Reasons I Don’t Wear Makeup

1. My time is valuable.

It takes a lot of time to apply makeup. I just don’t have that kind of time. I would rather spend time in the morning eating breakfast casually with my son and enjoying that time with him. Not standing in a bathroom putting on various layers of makeup.

I already hate that it takes me so long just to wash my hair. I don’t want to add more time to my morning routine for something that adds no value to my life.

2. My money is hard earned.

Makeup is expensive, y’all! I look at it as a wasteful habit. If you’re a person that absolutely loves makeup and loves the art of it and playing with different looks, that’s great. I don’t.

Spending copious amounts of money on something like makeup is not going to happen. To me, it’s no different than spending that money on a new phone every time the new version comes out, a daily Starbucks habit, or smoking. There are so many better things I can do with that money that add value to my life and help me live in a way I love.

3. My face and body are mine and I’m not going to do something because someone says I should.

Call me a rebel, but I don’t do things because someone else thinks I should. That’s follower reasoning, not leader. There are lots of things I won’t do that “everyone” does, this is just one of those things.

I also see the irony in me trying to convince you to not wear makeup by saying I don’t do things other people say I should do. But there’s a clear difference here. My goal is to get you to stop wearing makeup if it’s something you do and don’t love. If it’s not in line with who you are. Not just because I say so.

That’s the reason I don’t wear makeup. It’s not in line with who I am. How can I be the confident person I want to be if I feel the need to artificially apply something to myself in order to get there?

All of the other reasons on this list also describe how it’s not in line with who I want to be in the world. I’m not a person who wastes money or time and I care about my body and the environment. I also don’t want to contribute to women being made to feel that they aren’t enough.

4. I’m breaking the cycle for future generations.

This might be my most virtuous reason, but the others are all equally important. I want my son to find it totally normal that a woman does not spend $50 and 30 minutes a day on makeup. I will be his primary example of women in the world, and I want him to start off with the right mentality.

If he doesn’t see me wearing makeup, obsessing about not having it on, or talking about it at all, it won’t even be on his radar. He will appreciate women’s natural beauty because it will be the norm. He will not have the expectation that women are “supposed to” wear makeup. I always keep in mind that no matter how much he sees in the media and everywhere else, I am his first impression of women, during the youngest most formative years. I take that responsibility seriously and recognize the impact I have on him as a future man in the world.

I do want to note in all fairness to men, there are actually a lot that prefer women without makeup. But there are also a lot that want beauty queen trophy wives, so it’s not yet the best it can get.

5. I care about my skin, the planet, animals…

I want to have healthy skin and don’t want to apply chemicals to it in the name of “beauty.” I also became plant-based in part because of the animals. Using a product that is regular made from or tested on them is of zero interest to me.

Not to mention the extreme waste that comes out of the beauty industry. How many lipstick tubes, makeup brushes, eyeliner pens, mascara wands, makeup remover cloths and bottles and more wind up in our landfills every day? And for what purpose? There is tons of waste created from every day life that is difficult to avoid. This one I can avoid with no problem.

Are you ready to join me in saying “I don’t wear makeup” yet?

We’re not going to change the perceptions and societal norms overnight. That doesn’t mean we can’t contribute to the cause. But right now, do it for yourself. The other stuff comes along with it as a bonus.

If you’ve been considering no longer wearing makeup but you’ve been nervous to, I encourage you to do it. It is so liberating! You might receive a few comments at first, especially if you regularly wear a lot, but it will quickly become normal.

Break away from something that reinforces the concept that you are not enough on your own. You are! Own the you that you want to be, others be damned. It’s not their life. It’s yours. Live it how you want to live it.

Take the leap into something a little scary that frees you up to live more in line with the way you desire.