Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…

“I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works, which my soul knows very well.” -Psalm 139:14

Last week I began work in a Psychology class at my college. Over the course of our class, which is eight weeks long, the students are required to conduct an experiment or social project, if you will. We were charged with the task of choosing our own projects. These projects had to physically and/or emotionally change us over the span of 4 weeks. (Exercise and weight loss did not count) We were to keep a daily log or journal about our experience as well as research and document changes. At the end of the four weeks we would put together our final report and present it to the class.

Upon hearing about this project, I was really excited! This sounds so cool, AND I get to choose what I want to do! I thought over it for a good week. I really wanted to choose something that was meaningful to me and would also benefit me. Then it hit me in the face.  Almost literally. My face was the answer.

*Insert dramatic flash back bubble here*

Ever since I was 12 years old, makeup has been a part of my daily routine. In the past two years, I wouldn’t go out of my house without it. My makeup face is my face, that’s it. The plaster of plastic and chemicals that I carefully craft and place on my skin each morning, has become the safety blanket that I cower behind.

Makeup is by no means a bad thing. It’s nice to get dressed up, especially for special occasions! Makeup can also be used to enhance natural beauty and facial features. There’s nothing wrong with it. Makeup is not the bad guy. The problem arises when you start to put your value in the way you look because of makeup. For me, this has been an issue for a while and I didn’t even notice it. In all honesty, I love makeup. I love the way it makes me look and I love the compliments I receive when I’m wearing it. I do not like my natural face. When I don’t wear makeup, I get a lot of negative comments and people do treat me differently. I wear makeup to feel good about myself and I feel that when I don’t wear it, people notice (in a bad way).

But that’s just the way the world works, right?

I’ve been really convicted of this recently. God made us in His very own image! My face, is a reflection of my creator and sometimes I can’t even look at my reflection in the mirror. Something is wrong.

I have chosen to do my experiment on myself. For the next four weeks, I will not be wearing makeup.*

*Some exceptions apply due to important events in the next month. 

I’ll be documenting my journey in the form of photos, a daily journal, and a comment log. Yes, that’s right, your opinions and random comments are being recorded! I’m also going to be conducting interviews among my friends and researching makeup in depth. What are we actually putting on our faces? What do these chemicals do to our bodies when they enter our blood stream?

What do I hope to get out of this?

I want to learn to be comfortable in my own skin and I want others to see that you don’t need makeup to be pretty, or to be noticed. In society today there is a huge double standard when it comes to beauty and appearance between men and women. Too many young girls are being raised up in a society that expects women to cover up their natural beauty. If you’re one of the middle school girls that I lead at youth group, this is for you. I love you guys very much and I want all of you to see that beauty is WAY deeper than the skin. You do not need to change the way you look to please others. On the other side of things, too many women are stuck in the cycle of masking ourselves and not letting our true beauty shine!

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

I would like to encourage all of you ladies out there to maybe skip a day or two of wearing makeup and see what you learn about yourself. If you’re really up for it, take a selfie and post it with the hashtag #Project334 to support me and be a part of my project!

Remember that beauty is who you are, not what you put on. Above all else, beauty comes from the Creator. Indulge yourself in Him and His beauty will explode out of you.

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30

-Toridactyl

#Project334