me and make-up.

I don't wear make-up. There I said it. Of course if you look at photos of me that fact becomes painfully obvious.
I have been cursed blessed with very poor skin. When I was a teenager with the breakouts all over I kept thinking I just have to get past this puberty thing and I'll be fine. By the time I hit my 20s my skin will clear and this will be a distant memory of awkward teenager hood.
Well... I'm thirty and my face still breaks out constantly. Nothing that I am willing to try has ever worked. So I just live with it. Not much else I can do about it.
This next part I do not mean to blame my mom or anyone else but it has to be said... The constant break-outs are one reason I don't wear make-up. I always feel that putting on make-up to cover the break-outs only highlights them and draws more attention.
The bigger reason that I don't wear it is because I never truly learned how to wear it, nor did I ever develop that ritual most women have. There was no magical coming of age mommy and daughter moment wear she showed me how to apply certain products.
Part of it may have been that my mom worked a lot in order for us to have the things we did (i.e. private schools, food, clothing). Part of it may have been that I was the middle of five kids and that kept my mom really busy. Part of it may have been that I didn't show much interest. I wasn't exactly the girlie girl back then.
In high school I owned a lot of flannel, over sized jeans, listed to alternative music, and only ever wore chuck taylors. (By the way I so want a pair of chucks for christmas) I didn't spend time fixing my hair. I got up I showered ran a brush through my locks grabbed a rubber band and went on my way. I think I got it cut once a year.
So my lack of knowledge of make-up was no ones fault. I just never figured it out. I think it was a time thing too. I couldn't be bothered to spend the time putting stuff on. I would wear some one day and then not the next.
Here I am at age 30. I own few make-up items. I had to look up instructions on how to wear eye shadow a few months back (I wanted to get it right). I very rarely put it on. At this point only if I am getting dressed up for some big thing do I bother.
It has never been a modesty thing, though that would be the nicer story to tell. I could say that I don't want to be vain about my looks. I don't want to obsess about my appearance. I will never be that girl that feels horrified when people see me without make-up. Instead, I am horrified when my breakouts are at their worse (but still do nothing to hide them). In truth, I really don't care that much. I never have.
It wasn't until about a year and half ago that I started taking the time to do my hair on a regular basis. Now it's something I do almost daily. And when I am in a rush, like today, I just throw on a hat. It's the short hair that does it. For years I had long hair and I would just pull it back, day after day. I finally got the never to cut it short. Short hair means no pulling it back. Short hair means daily maintenance.  I like it short, but I am ready to go back to longer hair for a while.
I like the low maintenance lifestyle. And really at the end of the day. Looks don't matter.