Hello, Lina here! 🙂

About a month ago, the singer/songwriter Alicia Keys wrote the most empowering and inspiring letter on Lenny Letter telling, amongst several things, her decision to not wear makeup anymore. I took the time to read it because I found quite interesting someone like her, a public person being photographed all the time, make a statement of this kind and also because I am myself on a very #nomakeup moment of my life and I know how freeing that can be.

Before I met my husband I was always very worried about never leaving my home without makeup because I wanted to “look beautiful”, not necessarily for myself but for others. Of course that I had a lot of fun doing my makeup, too, but the point is that if I wasn’t wearing my pressed powder, concealer, blush, lipstick and fill my brows I didn’t really want to go out and if I did, I felt uncomfortable all the time. It’s funny when I think about it because nowadays that really isn’t an issue anymore, if I have time to do some makeup I do but if I don’t, it’s fine too. The items on my list of priorities related to cosmetics when I wanna go out are sunscreen, lip balm and concealer. If I have some extra time, I’ll put on more.

I believe that the fact of my husband always saying how pretty I am without makeup and that he even prefers me all natural helps a lot, too, I love wearing makeup but I love even more the fact that I don’t need to rely on it anymore in order to feel beautiful and confident.

“Before I started my new album, I wrote a list of all the things that I was sick of. And one was how much women are brainwashed into feeling like we have to be skinny, or sexy, or desirable, or perfect. One of the many things I was tired of was the constant judgment of women. The constant stereotyping through every medium that makes us feel like being a normal size is not normal, and heaven forbid if you’re plus-size. Or the constant message that being sexy means being naked.”

Nowadays, there is this constant reminder that you need to look flawless and skinny to be considered beautiful, that if you have a round shaped face you should contour, that if you have thin lips you should make lip injections and well, I could go on forever here… What is wrong with people and this industry that makes billions of dollars building over women and men insecurities?! We are different people, with different races, we don’t look the same and that’s the real beauty of it, our diversity.

I’ve decided to make a little research amongst some of my male friends and my friend’s boyfriends, asking their opinion about women wearing makeup and I can say that 95% of them told me that they prefer without because they appreciate the natural beauty of a woman. Even though they also mentioned that depends on the occasion, they like makeup when it’s done properly without being too exaggerated and that a concealer doesn’t do bad to anyone.

I wouldn’t go so radical as Alicia Keys and declare that I won’t wear makeup anymore, but that is my personal opinion because I still love makeup and the extra boost of confidence it gives me when I attend to some event. Everything has its pros and cons, it’s just important to keep in mind that we should love ourselves the way we are and not try to cover up just because society says so. Feel beautiful with and without makeup! It’s all about finding your inner confidence.

“Cause I don’t want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.”

I hope this post inspired you somehow. So, what are your thoughts? I’m very curious to know your opinion about this! Let me know in the comments section. 🙂

Many kisses and see you soon! 🙂