Stripped bare

I was thinking the other day, it's been a while since I spent a day naked in public. I mean, if I know I'm not leaving the flat, I'll do it. But outside? With nothing on? No, not for quite some time.

If you haven't clicked on the link above yet, by now you may well be wondering what on earth I'm on about - or just what kind of place Stirling is these days! If you have clicked (digitally or metaphorically), you'll know I'm talking about having a make-up free day. Perhaps not quite as daring as the full Lady Godiva, but in some ways no less scary.

The good news is that my skin is so much better these days, and the thought of braving the outside without make-up is therefore much less daunting. I put that down to a couple of things - wearing less, and better, make up on a day to day basis, and a more consistent skin care regime. I only have to look at my friends who don't wear make up to realise that if I'm probably on the right track with that. 

But I'm convinced it's also due to a more stable, content and positive me. Less stress and angst really does seem to benefit my skin.

The bad news? Well, I'm not sure there is any, to be honest. Other than me still feeling the need to disguise my flaws and imperfections on a daily basis. Is that a bad thing? Yes and no, I guess. The make up I tend to wear is so light that it doesn't do much more than just smooth things out. It certainly doesn't change my face to the degree that I see some women trying to. But the fact that I feel the need for cover-up probably says something about my (lack of) confidence.

I don't think I'm vain, but I am conscious of how I look. Right or wrong, I feel people will judge me by how I look as much as by what I do or say. Part of me is bound up in how I look, perhaps too much. Not all of me, but hiding my imperfections is still something I feel the need to do to bolster my courage. Maybe that's what I need to work on next...

Still naked

 
 I blogged the other day about the experiment/challenge I set myself while I was on holiday of getting through an entire week without wearing make up. In it I'd said I deliberately chose to do it when I was away from home and there was no chance that anyone I knew would see me sans camouflage. I survived that week, albeit still feeling fairly self conscious about it all, but I got through and my skin did seem to be the better for it.

It was always going to be unlikely that I would carry it on when I got home and (up until this weekend that is) I didn't. What I did do was carry on with the lighter touch make up that I'd been trying before I went off on holiday - powder, concealer, blusher and mascara rather than the full foundation, primer, eyeshadow, lipstick etc routine I'd been doing before. Two things happened - my skin rebelled to having stuff plastered (however lightly) on it again and broke out big time, and I realised that even what I described as my 'light touch' make up was actually quite a lot. I also realised that I quite liked the look of my skin without the slap on and that I didn't really need it to make me feel confident.

As a side note here, the make up thing is a bit bizarre for me - whilst I worry about what I look before I leave the flat in the morning, and spend a while making sure my hair and make up are just so, once I get to work I pretty much forget about it. I've certainly never been the type to 'touch up' my make up during the day. For one thing, I already carry far too much stuff in my handbag as it is and there isn't really room for make up. For another, to be honest, I can't be bothered. Just one more of my contradictions I guess!

So, having decided I liked the lighter more natural look I decided it was time to take my skin in hand. Last weekend I made the effort to find a beauty salon near me that could offer more than just cosmetic treatments and this weekend I went in for my first treatment. I'd bought some of their products the previous weekend and had been using them religiously all week. I did feel my skin was getting better and I was both excited and nervous about going in for my treatment. I'll admit I was a bit disappointed when the therapist agreed that my spots were bad but I was extremely heartened when she said the rest of my skin (apart from the pigmentation around my eyes apparently!) is in really great condition. For the next hour and a quarter I submitted myself to her tender (and sometimes not so tender) mercies and emerged at 10.30 am (Yes, dear reader it was an early start for a weekend!) feeling glowing, relaxed and clean.

But the challenge was - no make up for the rest of the day. Nothing, nada, zip! In my hometown. Where people I know might see me. And, do you know what? They did - I meet up with and spent time with 2 friends - and I didn't mind. I'm not going to lie, it was a little uncomfortable but nowhere near as bad as I had imagined. So good did I feel about it that I ventured out again today with no make up apart from a tiny bit of mascara (and that doesn't count since it's not covering anything up!) and I didn't even give it a second thought.

I'm not sure I'm quite sure enough yet to do work tomorrow without at least some make up - but who knows! Meantime, I'm booked back in for 3 weeks time (another eye-splittingly early - for me - Saturday appointment) and I'll definitely keep using the products. I'm not naive enough to think that they're necessarily any better than stuff half the price, but I know that having invested in them, I will use them and I suspect the routine of using good products regularly in a sensible and consistent way (not flitting from one approach and one set of products to another) will be good for me, and more importantly for my skin.

And the picture? Well obviously it's me (with big sis) -not quite the last time I didn't worry about my skin, but a cute photo all the same!

And just one more aside before I finish - for my earlier post I used a photo mosiac I'd created on Flickr and titled Naked Week - showing as it did my 'naked' week without make up. I have been highly amused since posting it just how many hits that particular photo continues to get on my Flickr photostream. My sister reliably informs me that if I tag it feet, toes, naked and wellies (really!), the hit rate will increase. Hmm, now I'm worried!

Bare-faced truth

Naked week
Originally uploaded by bexybeads

As readers will remember, I set myself an extra challenge for my recent holiday in Wales. Not only was I to have a great time, relax and enjoy myself. I was also to do all of this whilst wearing no make-up whatsoever!

So what, I hear a number of you shout? Well, for me it was a big deal. I had got to a stage in my life where I was extremely uncomfortable about being seen in public without at least some camouflage. It's not that I'm vain - far from it, actually. (Well, at least I like to think so!) It's more that I was becoming increasingly conscious of the wrinkles, uneven skin tone and general signs of age. I also seem to have developed, rather annoyingly, late onset acne. Ok, not quite that bad - but certainly more spots than I ever had as a teenager!

So, for me, a whole week without make up was quite a challenge. And I'm pleased to say I managed it. Completely cold turkey too - not even a scrap of concealer, a lick of mascara or a smudge of blusher!

Maybe it was chickening out to do it while I was on holiday, in a place where I was pretty sure I wouldn't see anyone I knew - so risk was pretty minimal. But all the same, I was there bare and unpainted for anyone to see.

I'd love to say that I felt completely comfortable and since coming back home I've been confident enough to dispense with the slap for work as well. But I'm not and I wasn't. It was a struggle, I did feel self conscious and there were times I definitely wouldn't have gone out bare-faced if I'd been at home. But I did it - the world didn't end, no-one ran off screaming, or even sniggered or stared for that matter.

As the photo montage shows, I'm not a monster or freak without the war paint. But I still resort to it everyday for work - admittedly much less than when I started the challenge. These days it's just concealer, powder, a touch of blusher and some mascara. Occasionally some lipstick, although that's been absent this week as I can't find the damn stuff!

And on the whole it looks ok. I don't look wash-outed or tired, or at least no more so than I normally would. I actually like the lighter feeling and the fresher skin effect. But, sod's law, of course my skin is currently rebelling and I have a great break-out going on. But true to my new regime, I'm trying to resist caking it in foundation and seeing if I can have the confidence just to be me.

Aren't I brave?! Or maybe I am just vain after all!

Warming up

Ok, so yesterday I let you in on the challenge I've set myself for next week while I'm on holiday. And I even posted a photograph of me sans make-up - admittedly in suitably bright light so that the skin definition wasn't too sharp!

I deliberately picked next week for my 'naked' challenge since I'll be far from home and the chances of anyone I know seeing me without my usual defensive make up is fairly remote. But having had a bit of a dry run yesterday when I went to tango class au natural and managed to get away with it, I thought I'd try thinning it down a bit for work too.

So this morning instead of my usual foundation, powder, concealer, eye make up base, eye shadow, mascara, blusher and lipstick, I made do with just concealer (and not much at that!), powder and mascara. Ok, and a tiny touch of blusher. And some lipstick - but I didn't touch it up during the day!!

And do you know what? I hardly even noticed. There were a couple of times I looked in the mirror and thought I looked a bit pale - but I also thought I looked more natural and less tired. Maybe there's something in this no - ok, less - make up challenge after all!

(and why that picture - well, it's one of my favourites anyway, but I'm also hidden - behind my nephew rather than my make up for a change. But perhaps that's why I like it so much?)

Naked

No, not completely before you get too excited dear reader, just my face!

I've decided to set myself a no make-up challenge for the week of my holiday and this is me practising. I intend going to tango class today without any make-up at all. Not even my usual minimum of tinted moisturiser and mascara.

'So what?', I hear you ask. Well for me this is a big deal for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I really feel I'm beginning to show my age and that I need a little extra assistance to get by in public. I'll never forget my sister saying, as a bold 20 something, women over 30 shouldn't be seen without make-up. I laughed at the time and thought how unliberated of her, and while she might have been out by 10 years, I kind of see what she means now.

My second reason is the state of my skin itself. Now, I realise that the constant make-up wearing and the spots may well be connected, but it's a fact that I have a worse problem with (the delightfully termed) blemishes now than I ever did as a teenager. It doesn't seem fair somehow. Wasn't one of the compromises for losing my youth supposed to be not having to deal with acne, puppy fat and teenage angst. So far it only seems to be the puppy fat that's gone, and it's been replaced by cellulite! Hmm, who said life was fair?

So, next week when I head off for my solo holiday to Wales I'm going to try a whole week without any make-up whatsoever. And today is the practice run. I've already managed the supermarket facially naked. And met people I know and survived!

I'll let you know how I get on. Wish me luck!