Cristina Nika is a beauty blogger at HighStyleLife, an MB reader, and serial Youtube makeup tutorial viewer. She never leaves the house without full-on mascara and will pick organic makeup whenever possible. Nika lives in Sydney with her beau and 2 cats. Over the past few months she’s embraced a more natural look with her makeup regime, and today she’s sharing how this has helped make her feel more confident than ever.
Please give Cristina a big, warm MB welcome!
Over the past few months, I’ve come to the conclusion that makeup should be a fun tool to play with, not a mask to hide behind. I used to feel like I looked terrible without it, but now I look back and understand those feelings came from a lack of confidence. Truth be told, simply believing I look beautiful without makeup makes me feel like others believe it as well. Once I rejected my insecurities, I felt free, more secure, and more open to people. There are many ways to be beautiful—with or without makeup—but the most important thing is how you feel about yourself. So here’s why a natural look gives me confidence.
I Stopped Thinking about Imperfections All the Time
Before, it seemed only logical to want my skin to look as best as possible so I’d never feel the need to hide myself. It was very difficult but life-changing to realize that everyone has imperfections, and freckles, occasional pimples, and dark circles are not the end of the world. Usually, no one cares about these insignificant things. When I forgot to worry about them, everyone else seemed to stop noticing them, too. Well, if they even noticed them before.
I Got My Hands and Mind Off My Face
The first lesson for me when it came to feeling good without heavy makeup was to stop picking my blemishes and touching my face all the time. These actions only made my skin condition worse because every time I touched my face, I transferred bacteria to it. Not to mention, feeling the little bumps on my chin and cheeks caused anxiety about my appearance. Without a mirror, I overreacted and thought I looked horrible. When I finally stopped doing that, my confidence and ability to talk to people grew, and my complexion improved.
I Started Using Face Masks and Scrubs
When I think about it, it was pretty strange that I cared so much about the appearance of my skin but never bothered to exfoliate or treat it with face masks. Discovering the power of scrubs completely changed my skin care routine, and it helped me get rid of all the accumulated dirt and dead skin, while reducing clogged pores. After each exfoliation, my skin looked brighter and I felt refreshed. I started using hydrating face masks which provided my skin with moisture and improved its general appearance. I made it a habit to use a face mask after every exfoliation, in order for my skin to absorb the nutrients better.
I Love the Sun but I Love My Skin More
I mentioned that I have freckles, and believe me, I have a lot of them. The problem was more of them started appearing and they did not look like my usual freckles. I did a bit of research and discovered this was known as sun discoloration, so I immediately started using a sunscreen as my regular day cream. Now, I never go out without it, and no new freckles have appeared! As for the ones I already have, I actually think they are cute and so does my boyfriend.
I Found the Right Toner
I bet there are a lot of people like me who think toner is just a hoax. I would get frustrated and disappointed when I used ones full of alcohol, hoping they would dry out my pimples, but instead they dried out my whole face. It took some time for me to realize that a mild, alcohol-free toner does wonders for my combination skin, making it feel smooth and look healthy without the dry patches.
Of course, there are occasions when I still wear makeup, but most of the time now, I enjoy the feeling I get from a naked face.
Thank you again to Cristina for her lovely, heartfelt post! Be sure you follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for more beauty-related posts.
