“Whether I’m wearing lots of makeup or no makeup, I’m the same person inside.” – Lady Gaga

While it is true that who I am is not affected by the amount of pigment that I can pack on to my face in the morning, it does change how people perceive me.

Slowly but surely society has been swayed to believe that wearing makeup is a necessary evil. Women who opt for the “au naturel” appearance look like washed out, panda-eyed messes with blotchy skin. We are made to believe that we shouldn’t deny ourselves a chance to look more attractive, now should we?

Now I’m not saying that women are the only ones plagued with this struggle, but it definitely seems to hit us harder. Women not wearing makeup is a big deal. But why? Men do it all the time. Children do it all the time. But women? Hilary Clinton does a speech without makeup and guess what, the world makes it a full-on news story.

Now listen, there’s nothing wrong with beating your face to the gods if it makes you feel good about yourself. But if you’re piling on the product because you feel the societal pressure to paint yourself “pretty,” then it might be time to give your head a shake.

Sure, makeup has the power to help us feel more confident, allow us to fit in when we’re different, or scarred, or unwell, but we shouldn’t feel weird when we don’t wear it.

My signature winged eyeliner was part of what made me, me. For years I never left the house without it. To do so would be like forgetting to put on deodorant. A definite no-no.

As I have gotten older I have come to appreciate that I would rather have someone compliment the fact that I have a sharp mind vs. a perfectly placed sharp black liquid line on my eyelid – and, I can fully admit, halfway up my temple from time to time.

That’s not to say that you won’t see me confidently donning a blacker than black eye now and again. But what it does mean is that whether I am proudly playing host to that sickeningly exaggerated eyelid or opting for something a little more natural, I am exactly who I want to be.

And guess what, I’m awesome.