The back story to this post is a simple and interesting one. I was packing up my stuff to drive home from Charleston last weekend, and thought ‘I’m only driving home, I don’t need makeup.’

I got home, unloaded the car, and hung out with J. In the midst of this I found myself glancing in the mirror, and thinking “I don’t dislike how I look right now.”

That may sound strange. Let me explain.

While I am not the type of gal who wears a lot of makeup (my routine is pretty simple), and while I am not afraid of people seeing me without it, I rarely think of myself as pretty without it. Maybe you can relate.

In that moment I felt fresh, pretty, and unique.

Fresh because I didn’t have chemicals all over my face.

Pretty because I could see more clearly my God-created skin and eyes.

Unique because the world constantly screams that beauty is/can be made by a ‘well-done’ face. To learn how to do apply better or to use more expensive products.

Up until that moment, when I thought of beauty, my default immediate thinking was external: hair, eyes, makeup, body shape. It’s a habit long ingrained. As I looked at my bare face in the mirror, I realized I was a little sick of that perspective.

I talked about it with J later and unofficially decided I wanted to minimize my daily makeup wearing, and reserve it for special occasions — Sunday mornings for church or a special date night or wedding.

I’ll wash my face, put on a slightly tinted moisturizer and a little mascara and call myself lovely.

This experiment could only last for the month of April, or the rest of my life, I’m not sure. I do believe I’m going to be made new through this.

God created me in His image; He created me beautiful and wonderful (Psalm 139:14) with no added chemicals or aids. I am the one who adds those things.

I am praying that He renews and refreshes not only my external skin, but also my soul. I’m asking Him to help me redefine ‘beauty’ in my eyes.

I want to learn confidence in my own skin, just as it is, nothing added or altered.

I believe this process will help me use more encouraging language with myself, celebrate qualities in myself and in others that are not physical, and practice gratitude for the function of my body’s features.

Three cheers for the grace of simplicity and change!

PS – I don’t think there is anything wrong with wearing makeup. I don’t feel above it, or above those who are passionate about makeup and using it. This is an opportunity to learn to feel beautiful the specific way God created me. 

And I want others to know that they can be free, to embrace the idea that makeup isn’t the only source of beautifying. I want women to know they are beautiful just as they are, by the light in their eyes, joy in their laughter, hope of their hearts, uniqueness of their DNA.

I’ll keep you posted on my discoveries.