I've never been much of a makeup person myself. I swam competitively in high school and college and than meant being in the water before class and again after class. I just didn't see the point in putting any on in between. Maybe I'd put some on for a special occasion or something, but that was it. Even after college I just never really bothered. I've always felt very comfortable with who I am and never felt the pressures to wear it. If I wore makeup it has always been because I wanted too, not because I felt I had too.
Now I'm 30 and am a 'stay at home mom'. That doesn't mean that I gave up on my self image or anything or I 'let myself go'. I had both my babies back to back (they are 18 months apart) and my girls take up a great deal of my time. I don't feel the need to wear makeup for them, certainly. I work out regularly. My two year old rides in a backpack while we hike and my 3 year old can hike 2 1/2-3 miles on her own. We are a super active family and I just don't feel the need to wear makeup on a daily basis. My husband likes me better without it too.
As far as the inner confidence thing, I look at pics of myself pre-dreaded and it's like looking at a different person. I like the dreaded me better. It feels like, well, me. That's one of the reasons we let our 3 year old dread her hair. She didn't want dreads because mommy has them, she was actually able to tell me her own reasons for wanting her hair dreaded. I'm proud of her for identifying with her inner self at such a young age and my husband and I want our girls to always have that confidence in themselves. K, maybe I got off topic there for a moment cause my kids obviously don't wear makeup, but my husband and I want our girls to grow up having the confidence in themselves to not feel like they have to conform to what's expected.ETA: sorry if this reply seems jumbled, I'm trying to get my daughter to stop pretending our bull mastiff is a horse and ride him while typing this......
updated by @mt-mommy: 07/23/15 06:56:51PM
make up
I have always been a real low maintenance girl, wearing make up maybe 2-4 times a year....I used to feel I needed to conform in middle school and high school and then went completely opposite right after graduation, doing everything to NOT conform. Since having children I have really began a journy of who I am not how others see me, my children love me for who I am and I don't need expensive clothes or make up to make them proud of me. Since my journy has began in dreading my hair I have definately had more confidence in myself and will probably continue to not wear make up except in rare occasions where I want to "dress up" and go out. I am one to wake up roll over, grab some clothes and go, my husband takes longer to get ready than me! :P
Wow so many replies! I personally love my make up. I've never been a slave to it, and am not bothered about living my day to day life with out it, plus I work as a ranger, and make up would end up all over my face lol..... However come the parties of friday and saturday night it's dress up time!..... without being cliched, I kinda treat clothes and make up like art... i love finding unique things.... vibrant colours and beautiful patterns.... same with make up........ I'm not into spending ridiculous amounts of money... my sis will spend 20 on one mascara whereas I'm happy spending 99p lol, and then i like to mix colours in all kinda of funky ways and get myself looking somewhat like a parrot! :P One of the many reasons i wanted dreads was because I am rubbish at styling hair and keeping up with hair appointments, so i could never make my head look as dramatic as my eyes unless i was with my gay hairdresser buddy.... I liked the idea of having a low maintenance and beautiful style that had loads of volume and that I could put up in funky ways without drowning in hairspray...... and of course decorate with beads and such like,,,,,So yeah, make up I feel should be a form of self expression.... it should never be a form of slavery. I feel bad for my mum and sister who are both kinda like that.... can't leave the house without make up and hair done perfectly has to be all the best top notch products....... probably wouldn't dare to wear something particularly daring due to risk of ridicule... and will only wear boring browns and smoky colours, as make up for them is about "making you look prettier and defining your features"..... where for me its all about being like a parrot 
I sometimes wear eyeliner just because I find it artistically interesting. But I think that I am done with it. My eyes don't like it. I get styes and I know it is from the eyeliner. I have been told just go out and get some all natural organic makeup. I don't think that it is worth the time,energy,or money. My husband tells me you look beautiful without it.In high school I tried wearing and my skin broke out so much that I stopped and then only wore lipstick but then the lipstick would peel off and I would look pretty scary.I like me without makeup. Even though I know wearing eyeliner is far much less than most women wear I can't ignore the messages my body sends me.
Interesting point.I've noticed that aswell, and to be honest, wear alot less make-up now I've got my dreads. Though I never wore alot before.Sometimes I'll wear face powder, eyeliner and mascara to work. I'm a awaitress, and we're 'expected' to look presentable I s'pose :LWhen I'm 'out on the town' I'll doll up but usually try to mix it up, make my make-up a bit different like, birght colours and patterns etc. so alot like yours...But in day to day terms, I rarely wear any at all. And yeah, you could say it boosts my confidence, because I can go into work or school or town, and people not say 'Are you okay? You look ill.' like with so many other people.
I have never worn a lot of make up.. Over the years use has gotten less and less... But I still wear it on occasion if I feel like it! I'm really interested in color and perception so for instance it is interesting to see how different color eyeliners have different effects even though they're so subtle.
Bethan Wegener said:
yeah, you could say it boosts my confidence, because I can go into work or school or town, and people not say 'Are you okay? You look ill.' like with so many other people.
