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I’ve noticed these are two things that many women tend to be insecure about. I know I was for a very long time. I remember in high school I had swimming as my first class of the day. So what would I do? I’d shower, blow dry my hair, and put on a full face of makeup before heading to school. Then after swim period was over I’d get ready all over again.
That’s how insecure I was about my naked face.
As for shorts, like most women, I had cellulite on my upper thighs. So what was my solution? For the longest time, it was to wear long pants or capris- no matter how hot it was outside. And mind you, I lived in one of the hottest cities in the U.S.
But I’ve discovered something that has been absolutely shocking to me.
The trick to looking good in shorts or without makeup is…
To wear shorts and to not wear makeup.
Let me explain.
We are our own worst critics. When we look at our flaws in the mirror, we zoom in on them. They’re all we can focus on. And chances are, you actually don’t look anywhere near as bad in person as you think you do. Every day when I look at my reflection, I have to tell myself, “Trust me, it’s not as bad as you think it is”. I have to do this, because if I didn’t I’d never be able to leave my house. Sad, but true.
Now, if you’re someone like me who spent YEARS not leaving her house without makeup, you will look bad without it. That’s because you will THINK you look bad, and your lack of confidence will be all that people see. You may even get comments from people who are used to seeing you all done up- comments like, “Are you okay? You look like you aren’t feeling so well”. Don’t take them to heart. Once you get used to being seen with a naked face, your confidence will return and you will look just fine. Don’t get me wrong- I’m not saying you should never wear makeup. I enjoy the heck out of getting done up and feeling put together. But I’m also not going to sweat it if I have to make a quick run to the grocery store and don’t have my face painted. And I’m not going to go for a jog in the heat of the summer with foundation dripping down my face.
The same goes for wearing shorts. So much of what makes a woman beautiful is in how she moves. If you are self-conscious wearing shorts, you’ll move a little clumsily. It won’t be cute. So what? You’re working through this. And in time, you will- and you’ll even feel sexy in your shorts. More importantly, you’ll be comfortable. Comfortable in your clothes and in your own skin.
So if you’re like me and have struggled with the same insecurities, I encourage you to work through them instead of trying to hide them. Life is for living, and we’ve got a lot of living to do.
What are some insecurities you’ve overcome, and how did you do it? I’d love to hear.
Hairy legs, bags under the eyes, stretch marks, my hair and my wrinkles. I haven't worn foundation in years but my skin genetics are pretty good.
What changed? I got older and started not giving a fuck. I'm not a pretty object and I'm not here for you. I'm here for me and the people I love. I look fancy and elegant only when it's beneficial. Like during work or if I'm going to a restaurant.
I've never worn makeup and now at my age I just look at the hours and practise women spend getting ready and think 'no'.
like you , I used to hate my bare face and wearing shorts. I barely wear makeup now, I’ll wear it when I’m going out. But it’s not an everyday thing. I think when we go barefaced we tend to feel better about it. We get used to how our face looks. Also I think it’s better for our skin!
I think confidence is a beautiful thing. When I look at myself, I don’t like that I have cellulite on my thighs or I have some rolls. That doesn’t make me ugly. As long as you move with confidence, others pick up on that and will find you attractive as well
Also look at the ugly men who act like their gods gift to women. Why don’t we have confidence like that?!
If I'm not getting paid for it, why should I take on the full time job of fulfilling the current beauty standard? Models and actresses do it because it's their literal job. I'm not doing it for free. Grooming and hygiene are the "good enough" baseline for all human beings. I definitely had to learn to be okay with that, too, but now that I have, I couldn't care less.
I never wore shorts or skirts without pantyhose as a teenager and still kind of struggle to. Bathing suits in general are also hard for me.
My (perceived) "flaw" is that I am really, really pale and don't tan which also makes stubble (I have dark hair), blemishes etc. really visible. My skin just doesn't tan. It gets sunburned or stays pale. There is nothing in between. As teenager I tried tanning lotion and all that stuff which obviously looked completely unnatural and horrible.
When you grow up internalizing the whole "tanned beach girl" beauty standard, people considering using a tanning bed a normal part of a beauty routine and "pale=sick and ugly" and get mocked for it even by family that is hard to unlearn. My mother told me to use sunscreen with a lower SPF (or none) as a teenager so I'll "get a little color and look healthier". Insane, when you think about it today.
As an adult I embrace my "true winter"-aesthetic and have accepted that being tanned is just not for me. A superficial beauty standard like that is not worth skin cancer.
Most of the time I just wear eyeliner. If I'm going somewhere I'll add eyeshadow, mascara and tinted lipbalm. But 2 things I ALWAYS put on before I leave are moisturizer and sunscreen Neutrogena SPF 70. I have a lipbalm with spf but I forget to put it on sometimes.
Totally feel this! I stopped wearing concealer every day and at first I felt so naked and gross looking but something happened and I really don't feel that way anymore!
I use sunscreen religiously and take good care of my health. Now just putting on mascara makes me feel really done and I think I look fine without. It's great!
I love feeling ok in my skin and saving makeup for when I want that little extra :)
Very good points. If you wear makeup everyday, you will start to think you look weird without it. It takes a bit of a transition, but you will quickly realise the difference it makes is negligible and you look pretty damn good with or without it.
OP I’m with you on all of this. It took me until I was in my 30s to wear shorts, and it’s still pretty rare. I’ve only just become comfortable with wearing yoga tights!
OTOH I almost never wear makeup- but I’m genetically blessed and don’t really need to.
However I do dye my lashes and brows, bleach my upper lip and have recently had my lips cosmetically tattooed. Really the colour hasn’t changed, but it has made them more defined and makes me so happy.
Yes! just a reminder that it’s also perfectly okay to put on make up everyday too, if you genuinly enjoy it and makes you feel good😊