Joining the no-makeup revolution is a move many women find empowering. Going sans-makeup means you get to show your naked face to the world, following in the steps of Alicia Keys, Gwenyth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz and Katie Holmes, to name a few. And, bonus, you’ll also save time in the morning, and money for other things. But what will actually happen when you stop wearing makeup–aside from people sharing unsolicited opinions on your #nomakeup-hashtagged pics?
For one, if you generally wear a full face of makeup, and if it tends to be heavy and oil-based, then the largest organ covering your body has been absorbing chemicals every day, and putting a stop to that will give your skin a chance to breathe. So, you could see fewer breakouts, inflammation and irritation as a result. You might also stop touching your face as much (think about how often you rub your under-eyes with kleenex to avert racoon eyes, or fix your eyeliner), which can help keep oil accumulation to a minimum, and you definitely won’t worry about falling asleep with makeup on.
Skipping makeup might also lead you to upgrade or change up your skincare routine. You’ll have more time in the mornings, for one, but your commitment to going bare-faced leaves you without the option for concealer or foundation, so you may get more creative about how you get glowing. According to her long-time makeup artist, Dotti, Alicia Keys relies on “a combination of facials, acupuncture, healthy eating, exercise and a positive mental attitude” to keep her skin in check. (One of her top priorities is to draw blood to the surface of the skin to make it glow, and a jade roller in ice is her secret weapon.) If you’ve ever wanted to see how an oxygen facial or wine-bath affects your look, now’s the time.
Going bare-faced might prompt you to become even more open minded about the way you wear your hair, your accessories (hats, anyone? Headscarves?), or how you think about your style, or about beauty, in general. Keys, after the makeup-free for a photo shoot for her last album, said the shoot made her feel “the strongest, most empowered, most free, and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt,” after all.
Few of us are in the business of showing our faces to the world in the way Keys does, but we’re not exempt from the beauty standards of that world, and the assumption that beauty is a look that must involve makeup. Being a representative of the no-makeup revolution in your own circle could shift your perspective on how you show up in the world, and how you “should” show up in the world.
The fact that the world is still adjusting to Key’s decision–despite the fact that a bunch of other celebs are into it too–means bare-faced is still a bold look. And it’s one we can totally get behind.
