Some of you may read that title and think to yourself, “big whoop, I go makeup-free all the time.” But as a self-proclaimed makeup junkie, this was a big challenge for me. I decided to do this personal challenge for myself more than anything else.

Granted, these are some wedding photos, but it’s a pretty typical indication of my ideal makeup look. A pinky-red lip, bold lashes and winged eyeliner so sharp it could cut somebody. From the day I was allowed to wear makeup for the first time, I wore a full face. My version of a “no-makeup” day still included foundation, powder, eyeliner and mascara. It pretty much just meant omitting lipstick and highlighter 😂. As a teenager, I used to do a lot of musical theater, so I started using heavy-duty stage makeup at an early age. And my love for makeup and the artistry grew. M.A.C cosmetics was my go-to and I spent a ridiculous amount of my paycheck on new goodies each month.

Fast forward to 2016 when I’m the mother of a bouncing baby boy. You better believe I brought a full makeup bag to the hospital with every intention of being “photo-ready.” I laugh at myself now when I think back on it. From that day on, my time for a full makeup routine diminished. But I didn’t give up on my beloved eyeliner and foundation. I simply scaled back a bit.

So why a month of no makeup? It was a personal challenge to myself to be comfortable in my own skin. To be completely upfront, I actually did this challenge back in February, but couldn’t decide if I wanted to write this post or not for fear of sounding vain or shallow. But what I’ve discovered after that month and the following ones is that I have made what may seem like a small change to some, but a huge step forward in self-love for myself.

Here were the ground rules:

No makeup at all for 30 days.
No cheating with tinted moisturizer, CC cream, etc. Only my morning skincare routine, which I’ll share below.
No mentioning the lack of makeup to anyone in conversation. I didn’t want to immediately enter a room and say, “Hey look ma, no makeup!” If anyone noticed, I could converse about it, but no bringing it up to help guard myself proactively.

My morning skincare routine:

Over the course of February, I ventured out to places makeup-free that I never would have before. I used to put eyeliner and mascara on just to go to Target. The only people who see me consistently makeup-free are my husband and my son. But that really is it. Here are a few scenarios that happened over the course of that month:

I went to my birthday lunch makeup-free! I mean, this is typically a time when you’d be all gussied up in your favorite looks. It felt oddly vulnerable to be at an event where I was the center of attention and going completely bare-faced.
I took video conference calls makeup-free. This was another weird one. It’s hard to ignore the fact that you have zero makeup on when you’re staring at your own face on a computer screen for over an hour.
My own father said he couldn’t remember the last time he saw me without makeup. Yes, this even includes those first few weeks of motherhood where we had visitors. I always put on a little bit of makeup even then.
I was only asked if I was “tired” twice!

Can we stop asking people that though? Saying, “Wow, you look tired” is so offensive and not helpful to anyone. It’s an underhanded way of saying someone doesn’t look their best.

Here’s what I learned

Skincare is even more important when you’re not wearing makeup. I made sure to do my complete routine morning and night so that my skin’s texture and overall appearance was healthy and glowing.
I drank a ton more water to help combat the fact that I couldn’t hide behind makeup. It is a habit I stuck with since then and it makes such a huge difference.
Putting on makeup is a timesuck. I know this isn’t groundbreaking news, but the amount of time I saved in getting ready each day was amazing. And guess what? No one at preschool pickup or the grocery store even noticed that I wasn’t wearing makeup.
The longer I didn’t wear makeup, the better my skin got.
I started noticing the changes in my skin. When you’re putting makeup on every day, it’s easy to not notice any changes in your appearance because it’s such a routine. I noticed so many new freckles and spots that weren’t there before. Some of it is sun damage and some is just nature, but it was really fascinating to realize that I wasn’t as in tune with my appearance as I thought.
Less is best when it comes to a healthy self-image and makeup routine.

Don’t get me wrong, if you feel your best in a full face of makeup and it makes you happy, you should definitely do that. But what I learned throughout this process was that I was using makeup as a way to hide behind it. I committed to 30 days of staring at myself in my own skin in all different places with all different people. It was a huge lesson in growth and teaching myself to be confident in my most natural state. And guess what, I am still barely wearing makeup! I’ve ditched my foundation and powder for tinted facial oil and a light blur stick. Top it off with a swipe of mascara, some eyebrow gel, a dab of blush and I’m good to go.

If you’re like me and have been stuck in a makeup rut for awhile, I encourage you to take this challenge for yourself. It honestly takes a bit of discipline, but once you commit to those 30 days of being makeup-free and sharing your most natural self with the world, you’d be surprised how beautiful you feel!