A makeup guru in the making

My skincare journey has not been an easy one. But all the ups-and-downs led me to my love for makeup...

When I was in middle school, puberty hit me hard. My skin flared up, and I did NOT know how to deal with it. After years of visiting the dermatologist, being on countless medications, and receiving dozens of facials and laser treatments, I became hopeless. I was insecure and severely lacked confidence, so I turned to makeup.

Most kids my age didn’t wear makeup, so I tried my best to ease into it. I didn’t want to stand out as the girl who caked her face. But hiding acne is not easy, no matter how much foundation, concealer, and powder you pile on. I started slow - I would just use concealer to cover spots. But I found that didn’t help me hide as well as I wanted to, and before I knew it, I was piling it on.

As you can imagine, this only made my acne worse. But I didn’t care… I felt better. I continued to practice, watching as many makeup tutorials on YouTube as possible in my free time. Soon, makeup not only became my mask, but it became my escape too. It helped me hide from my insecurities while helping me express myself and gain confidence.

As high school rolled around, my acne was slowly fading out. But kids just got meaner, and my confidence took a major hit when I was referred to as a “White Chocolate Crunch Bar.” Makeup still made me feel more confident, but I decided it was time to up my meds and skincare routine. I worked tirelessly to make my acne go away, but I was a teenager with raging hormones.

Eventually, I made peace with my situation. I was doing all that I could, and one day my skin would clear up. In the meantime, I could hone in on my skills and love for makeup… Before I knew it, my skin had cleared up! Granted, I still to this day experience breakouts, but not even close to what it used to be like. So, without makeup acting as my mask, it was now purely my escape.

I spent the rest of high school practicing and bettering my makeup techniques, from everyday looks to Halloween makeup and everything in between. If I was bored, I would just sit in my bathroom and experiment. I was able to take what once masked my insecurities and turn it into a beloved passion.

While I don’t feel the need to wear makeup to feel confident anymore, it truly is the ultimate exhibition of self-expression. I love to be bold with my makeup choices; From a black smokey eye to a hot pink liner, makeup gives me an outlet to highlight my creativity (and my perfectionist nature).

Makeup has been with me in some of my darkest and brightest days, and that only makes me cherish my love for it even more.