I'm 39 and never wear makeup. I want to be accepted the way I naturally look.
Shubhangini Prakash is a 39-year-old whose mother never encouraged her to wear makeup.
She dabbled with eyeliner and eye shadow in college, but has chosen not to wear makeup anymore.
She thinks that going makeup-free makes her feel like her real self all the time.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shubhangini Prakash, founder and CEO of skincare line Feather and Bone.
When I was around 6, my mom told me lipstick would stain my lips. I had asked her to help me put some on for the school play, and she refused. Instead, I asked my neighbor's mom to do it for me. The next morning, I looked in the mirror and remembered thinking my lips had changed color. I'm not sure whether they had, but it confirmed that my mom had been right.
I never wore makeup again until I left the UK to start college in the US. In the UK, I felt confident without makeup, but not in the States. To fit in at college, I started wearing eye shadow and eyeliner. It felt like I was becoming a different character, not myself. I also found the products irritated my eyes.
Since then, I've rarely worn makeup, including for my two weddings.
When I entered the workforce at 22, I stopped wearing makeup unless I was messing around and being silly with my friends. I wore nothing except a little lip gloss at work, out socializing, or on dates. I wanted to be accepted and respected for who I was, not because of the makeup put on my skin.
On nights at bars with my friends, I didn't get the same attention as other women with dolled-up faces. I couldn't compete, but I would not wear makeup — I didn't feel 100% like myself with it on.
I wanted to find a romantic partner who liked me, not some made-up version of me.
If men don't have to wear makeup to attract a woman, why should a woman spend hours on her makeup for a man? I wanted to be seen as equal to a man, and not wearing makeup has become a way to channel that desire for equality.
At 30, I was getting ready to launch my business, and a makeup artist offered to provide me with a full makeover for a commercial I was working on. I'd never had a full face of makeup in my life. Walking around afterward, with concealer, foundation, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick, I got all the looks from people I passed.
It confirmed what I knew to be true — that makeup could get me noticed. Rather than making me want to wear it more, the makeover made me want to wear makeup even less. That boost of confidence I had from a face full of makeup was the confidence I wanted with my natural face.
Shortly after, I met the man who would become my husband at a rave. He was attracted to me without makeup and liked me for who I really was. I was the first woman he dated who didn't wear makeup. He never gave me slack for it, even though he was occasionally surprised that I didn't wear it when we were going out.
At our Christian wedding, I barely wore any makeup, and even at my traditional Indian wedding, I kept telling the person doing my makeup it was all too much. I wanted to look in the mirror and see myself on one of the most important days of my life.
As I get older, I know I won't change my mind about makeup. Antiaging culture takes away the beauty of aging, even though it is just a normal process of life. I am wiser now. I know more. I make better decisions. I am proof of a life lived, and my skin shows that. I don't have to accept what media and society tell me growing old looks like. My skin will sag and become wrinkly, and that's OK. We're not immortal.
I now have two sons, but if I ever have a daughter, I want to pass on what I inherited from my mom — a confidence and acceptance of my own, raw self, makeup-free.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Town's 'good news' magazine to stop publication
A magazine celebrating the good news in a town is set to stop publication after its next issue in October. The Happy Hood, released quarterly, was started in 2018 in Northampton after receiving funding from the then borough council and the National Lottery. Laura Graham, the magazine's founder and editor, said the brand would continue along with its monthly walking group. In a post of social media she said: "Cost are rising, people can't volunteer like they used to, and people aren't buying it in the numbers they used to." Ms Graham added "funding is really difficult to get hold of" with the magazine running without any grants since 2023. Since launching, more than 250 people had made voluntary contributions to the publication which is sold in shops, bars and cafes in Northampton. Earlier this year it marked its seventh birthday and 26th edition with an event in the town. In her social media post Ms Graham said the decision to stop publication was "difficult". But she said: "What we've done is revolutionary, and unheard of, and we've done something really cool. "Who knows what we might do in the future." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Community comic book exhibition opens in town 'Too much good news in Northampton' The Happy Hood
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
People Are Sharing The Societal Expectations That They Absolutely Refuse To Follow And Are Completely Over
There are things pretty much everyone does out of habit, politeness, or societal pressure — until someone finally says, "I'm done," and opts out. Whether it's skipping small talk or ditching social media updates, they just stop doing what's expected Recently, Redditor LazyMechanic3061 wanted to know about those things people are over when they asked: "What's a social norm that you absolutely refuse to follow, and why?" Below are the top and most often repeated responses people gave: 1."Posting every big life event, job change, buying a car, etc., on social media. I used to, but I know if anyone had actual interest, they would ask." —Tight-Message9940 "That's not a social norm, that's just a social media norm." —Kruse 2."Out of control consumerism. I have zero desire to upgrade my car that runs fine, or to have the latest iPhone, or redecorate to follow some trend, etc. All of this need to appear to be better off than one actually is, spending money they don't really have, and for what? Appearances? Fuck people's opinions. IDC. I will never understand why so many people feel like they have to keep up with the Joneses, constantly spending and consuming to try to seem like they're 'with it'. It's ridiculous." —Own_Accountant_2618 "It's crazy how many letters I got from dealerships after I paid off my car. 'Time up upgrade!' Uhhh, no, time to be stoked that I don't have a car payment." —crunchyfoliage Related: Boyfriends Are Sharing What They Never Knew About Women Until They Started Dating One, And These Discoveries Are Pure Relationship Gold 3."I will never understand why you would pay $100-plus to attend a live concert just to watch the whole thing through your phone's camera." —shootyoureyeout "THANK YOU! I finally found one I 100% agree with. If I want to see a recording of the show, it will be on YouTube later with way better quality than my iPhone from the 80th row or even from the floor with 6' dudes bobbing their heads in front of me. JUST. LOOK. AT. THE. BAND! With the eyes God gave you!" —aurelianwasrobbed 4."I will wear white pants before Memorial Day if I damn well feel like it!" —21stCenturyJohnny "And after labor day!" —OkRepublic5837 5."Asking people how they are if I'm not ready to respond to a negative answer." —throwaway31411235813 "Don't say, 'How are you?' to someone you've never met, especially while they're at work. I know you don't care and don't want an honest answer. And I won't say it to you because I don't care either. We can have a pleasant exchange without getting fake personal." —Squid_ProRo Related: 25 Eye-Opening Confessions From A Trauma Therapist That Changed The Way I Think About Mental Health 6."I'm a straight man who loves cooking, gardening, sewing. I like wine but don't like beer, and I choose white chocolate over dark. I have pink shoes that match my pink shirt. My favorite movie is Bring it On, and I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan. Why? Because I don't give a fuck what people think men should and shouldn't enjoy." —AnkleFrunk "My husband will drink a fruity drink if he wants to. He will wear pink if he wants to. He will have the most flamboyant shoes on and proudly show them off. He says he's 'peacocking.' And he doesn't give a freaking damn what anyone thinks. He likes what he likes, and that screams manliness to me because of how secure in himself he is. It's such a turn-on. Keep on keepin' on!" —MermaidOnTheTown 7."Living life for work and not living for life." —LastSpotKills "As a Gen Z dude, it drives me nuts seeing how many guys are only focused on working and getting money. Like I certainly am not a super star for health (a lot of it is genetic), but I get out, hike, shoot, ride horses, go to concerts, and fish. But a lot of these guys just go to work, watch football, and sleep." —kilroy-was-here-2543 8."I won't treat anyone like they are on a pedestal. In my opinion, we are all humans… if you're a big boss or cleaning lady, everyone receives the same treatment." —OliveaSea "This is big for me, too. Hierarchies continue to exist when we play into them. My boss is my peer just like my coworkers, and I treat them all with respect, but don't shy away from healthy confrontation with any of them either." —uummmmmmmmmmmok 9."'Keeping the peace' and 'not rocking the boat.' I'm not giving up my own peace to keep the narcissistic asshats that clutter my life happy. Spent entirely too long doing it. Why yes, yes, I'll 'ruin the day' or 'be too serious' or 'just refuse to take a joke.' I'm half past giving a fuck and I'm just over and done with being a doormat dumping ground." —pardonmyass "My parents are both cycle-breakers from crappy families. They taught me family isn't just blood, and it's good to cut off a person who negatively impacts your life, regardless of DNA shared. I had to learn how to apply those lessons with some bad friends in my teens and early adult life, but I'm thankful my parents were able to shield me from a ton of family abuse and never told me to keep the peace." —magicrowantree 10."Make up, even as a teenager. It's a pain to apply, I'm not good at it, and now if I try to wear it, I feel like a clown, so I let my dark circles live their lives." —Fairfountain "Agree. I didn't even wear make up to my wedding. This is what I look like. There's nothing wrong with my actual human face." —skupalupa 11."Respecting your elders just because they are old. My grandmother is a monster who deserves not one single ounce of respect, yet she's given deference whenever she acts out in her racist and bigoted ways. Fuck her, fuck that." —mokes310 "I'm finally coming to that realization at 50-damn-years-old. Talked to my big sister. Most of my uncles/aunts and especially our dad are all garbage people." —NoReference3721 12."I refuse to play music, listen to podcasts, or watch videos through my phone speaker while in public." —powerandbulk "What's especially annoying is that most of the time people who blast music blast the same shitty music." —RadiantHC lastly, "This is a very little and inconsequential one, but I won't wish people a happy birthday on Facebook. If I know them well enough, I'll tell them in person or with a text. If I don't know them well enough to do that, then they don't need to hear it from me at all." —IrenaeusGSaintonge "This is actually a good point." —mjflood14 You can read the original thread on Reddit. Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Also in Goodful: Therapists Are Revealing The Moments That Made Them Break Their "No Judgment" Rule, And I'm Honestly Speechless Also in Goodful: 19 "Garbage" Modern Trends People Refuse To Partake In Despite Their Popularity Also in Goodful: "This Has Taken Me Years And Years And YEARS To Figure Out": This Woman's Clever Way To Tell If Someone Is Your Real Friend Is Being Called The Most Accurate Thing Ever
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Private Clubs Just Aren't What They Used To Be
I recently met a man who's lived in New York for about 25 years. Like most people who've been here that long, he was lamenting that the city isn't what it used to be. Back in the 2000s, he told me wistfully, you could go to some random event — and he knew whereof he spoke, he is an events planner — and meet someone who could change your life, or at least your career. Now things are much less organic: Instead of crashing a fashion party in a Soho loft, he said, people are just retiring to their private club. I nodded sympathetically, though in my New York of the 2000s, a Soho fashion party may as well have taken place on Jupiter. I spent most of those years alone in a library working on my economics PhD dissertation. I would never have known about such a party, let alone had the social capital or wherewithal to go.
