Makeup and a Smile

Whenever I want to feel pretty, or on the 6th, 11th, 18th, and 23rd of each month, whichever is closest, I put on makeup. I apply sparingly or generously depending on what I'm doing that day, and I try to make my impossible hair look better than usual. And, while I've only had about a 33% percent success rate, it often works (makes me feel pretty).

See, we've discovered that what we find attractive can often actually be confidence rather than real beauty. And if makes me feel confident about how I look, that feeling will show on the outside, too.

Whenever I want to feel pretty, I wash my face. Take all the makeup off. I see myself the way I am almost every day of the year. For some reason, I have found that the day after my makeup day, I feel even better about myself than before! I don't know if perhaps some of the makeup hasn't come off (you know, less is more). Perhaps it is the confidence that has not worn off.

But I have another theory. I see myself for me. I see the real me, and not the fake one. I remember all the reasons that I don't regularly wear makeup. And I do have confidence in the fact that I can walk outside without painting my face and face the world with my true colors.

I guess we are all vain creatures. My friend once told me that we all think we are good-looking to some extent. I contended the opposite. And I think we're both right. We all have flaws that we see more than others. But at the end of the day, we like to make ourselves look nice, and we all believe that it is possible.

Now, superficiality has long been a struggle of mine. In an effort to avoid it, I think I have delved into it farther than anyone else I know. And I still struggle with it to some extent.

But the truth is, makeup or not, when I look in a mirror, I can choose how I want to feel about myself. If I am confident, it shows. If not, people will view me the same way I view myself. So I smile and do something to get the blood flowing to my face. And I'm ready to face the world!

Whenever I want to feel pretty, I smile. A lot. :)