Five reasons to wear makeup more often than you do now.

The post I shared on 5 Reasons why we shouldn't dress bummy around the house received quite a bit of views. So I thought I'd create a supplementary post to give you something else to consider.  Today we'll discuss wearing makeup and why it might benefit you to wear it more often.

Before I start, I have to share some disclaimers.  First, I rarely wear makeup.  Although I own tons of it, the only time I'd put it on is before going to Church, a dinner out or other special events. As a child I remember watching a talk show where a woman bragged about being married for X number of years and not allowing her husband to ever see her without makeup. She wore makeup to bed and would wake up extra early to redo her entire face before he woke up in the morning.  I shook my head and swore to never be "that person." Which is why I stayed away from daily make up application.

But now, I have a new perspective on life and I realize the value of wearing make up more often.  Let's discuss.

1. You take better care of your skin.
One huge benefit of wearing skin correcting makeup is how one can minimize flaws.  Back when my skin was a certifiable mess, I'd leverage concealer to make my breakouts seem a lot less horrendous then they really were.  Whenever I had a presentation in front of a large group of people, I'd use ample amounts of MAC Studiotech to make my skin look somewhat normal.

But, ideally, everyone with troubled skin wants to have skin that looks amazing without makeup.  Honestly, I started going hard with transforming my skin only after using makeup to hide the flaws.  Thanks to the help of high coverage foundations, I saw what my skin could look like if I worked hard enough.  So I made it my mission to create skin that looked great with or without makeup. They say that if you want to create something new in your life, you have to visualize it.  When my skin was a hot mess, it was hard to visualize it as flawless.  So I'd apply my makeup, squint and viola!  I'd see what my future could look like.  I use lash serum because I love the look of long lashes that mascara gives.  I exfoliate because I like the way my skin looks without blemishes.  Wearing makeup actually causes me to work harder to improve my natural beauty.

On the flip side, makeup can also show you what's wrong with your skin. Try applying foundation to dry flaky skin and see what happens.  If your skin needs exfoliating, you'll certainly notice that when you wear makeup.  Sometimes I like to put on foundation just to see what I notice. Do my fine lines appear more obvious? Is my skin texture a bit rough? I take note of what shows up and promptly address it in my daily skin care regimen.

2. You're more likely to wear sunscreen
Whenever I rock a bare face, I rock a bare face.  Meaning, I don't do much in the area of skin protection.  I just do the bare minimum and walk out the door.  But when I wear makeup, I layer sunscreen, moisturizers, the whole nine.  Not only that, I'm more likely to put in a little extra effort by adding facial massages and facial exercise, just to make sure my face provides the perfect canvas for the final look.  If I go too long without wearing makeup, it most likely means that I'm neglecting other aspects of my facial regimen as well.

3. You get better at it the more your practice.
One reason why I don't wear makeup that often is because I'm not that good at it.  Sure, I can slather on foundation to correct flaws but beyond that, I'm just mediocre.  But, just like anything else, applying makeup is a skill.  Meaning, the more you purposefully practice certain techniques with the intention on improving, the better you'll get.  After hours of research and practice, I was finally able to create a modified winged eye that looked great on my small, hooded eyes. This could only happen with lots of experimenting.

Once upon at time, I'd practice various makeup techniques on a daily basis. I did it out of necessity because I hated the way anyone did my makeup.  After dedicating hours into practicing, I made huge strides and started receiving compliments left and right.   Deliberate practice makes perfect.

4. You tap into your feminine energy
One thing for sure, wearing makeup makes can make you feel more feminine.  It's all about enhancing your feminine features, your eyes, your lips, your skin, cheekbones.  Part of my hesitation in wearing makeup was that I didn't want to seem over done. And to be honest with you, I wasn't comfortable with enhancing my feminine energy at the time.  Now, I'm much more comfortable with myself. We'll discuss the art of femininity in future posts. But I think it's important for every woman to be just as comfortable accessing her feminine traits as she is her masculine side.  Wearing makeup is just one small act that allows you to do that.

5. You attract.
In theory, make up allows you to present the best version of yourself to the world.  When you do this, the world responds.  We've discussed the benefits of being attractive in a previous post.  The shifts in other people's behavior when you present your best self, is very real.  I can remember things like everyone wanting to make eye contact with me and linger a little in my office that one time after getting my lashes done for the first time.  At first, I didn't understand why people at work were treating me differently (in a good way), then I remembered the lashes.  I thought it was silly how something so small could impact other people's behavior.  But now, I'm intrigued by it.

It's actually proven that wearing makeup attracts others to you. Various studies have been done on the topic.  Heck, there's even one that talks about how "attractive" servers generally receive a higher tip from men and women versus the "less attractive."    Now, one can argue that being attractive is a measure of genetics.  People with perfect bone structure and symmetrical features will be attractive no matter what they do.  But there are also aspects of attractiveness that everyone can enjoy, like  glowing skin, healthy hair, etc.  Oh, and don't forget how a magnetic personality attracts others to you.

Experiment with going without makeup for a week, then try wearing it daily. You'll notice the difference, and others will too.  My theory is that people respond well to the efforts that you put towards how you look.  They appreciate it. So don't think that your efforts will be done in vain.  You don't have to go all out and wear a full face every day, just accentuate your unique positives. Perfect your signature look. Go out into the world looking your best and feel amazing.