Make-up, schmake up.

My dear visiting teachee and friend Kylie, asked me to blog about my experiences in participating in the “re-capturing beauty” challenges which are part of a campaign BYU Women’s Services and resources does every year. Here is a link outlining the different challenges. Next week I am honored to be featured on Kylie's blog for the challenge on day nine. But for now, here's my day 3.

Today I am blogging in the midst of this challenge. That is correct. It is 10:03 a.m. I left the house at 7:43 this morning without a stitch of make-up on, and I am still alive!!!

That's the miracle of miracles isn't it? No one has keeled over upon seeing my face in its bare form. There have been no rude comments, gasps of horror, or exclaimations of dismay at the less than beautiful condition of my face.

Honestly, self-deprecating jokes aside. This is a hard challenge for me. I almost took the easy way out, and was going to spend the day "examining my relationship with make-up." But I decided to be brave. Until I realized that I wasn't brave at all. I had been telling myself all last night how big a deal it was to leave the house without "my face on" until I realized I've done it a ton of times before. There was that time I scratched my cornea more than three years ago, this summer when I had pink eye, all those times I had surgery, and the countless Saturday shopping trips I've taken in yoga pants and sweat shirts. And pictures of all of those events somehow made it to the internet and here I am just fine. I suppose what's been different about all of those times is that I had an excuse. Scratched cornea, pink, hospitalization, lazy Saturdays. This time there is no excuse to hide my make-up-less face with. It's just bare for the world to see.

While this was a fun experiment, I don't think I'll do it again on any regular basis. I like make-up. I like playing with contours and lines. And seeing how different colors high-light different parts of your face. Yesterday, very unexpectedly, told me I had the most beautiful eyes. I know I talk a lot about how I don't want to be reduced to my body. But I think there is something to be said for celebrating the aspects of your body you do think are beautiful. Our spirits are our souls and bodies combined. Just as long as I don't place too much emphasis on my body, I don't see anything wrong in celebrating the parts that I like.

So I'm gonna keep on wearing make-up. 'Cuz I like my eyes, and I want other people to see them too.

This is a picture of me in Venice, circa 2009. I'm barely wearing make-up, and unabashed happiness. My favorite type of face.