5:37 A.M. – Wake up. Brush teeth. Apply moisturizer. Apply liquid foundation. Apply powder foundation. Apply eyebrow makeup. Apply bronzer. Apply highlighter. Apply mascara. Apply eyeliner. Fluff hair. Put hair up (if oily). Apply 400 degrees of heat to hair (if just-washed). Pick out an outfit. Change that outfit. Change the second outfit. Add accessories to the third. No time for food! Must. Be. Out. The. Door.

The above-mentioned clutter of responsibilities has been my daily morning routine for as long as I have known how to apply mascara in the seventh grade. I usually have no issues doing the latter, as puckering my lips only to apply bronzer has become second-nature to me. And as much as I enjoy looking as put-together as possible (in the 40 minutes I dedicate to “beautification” in the morning), I do enjoy my off-days when I would much rather take an extra 15 minutes of sleep in the morning over perusing through my makeup bag.

With that being said, it was a punch in the stomach when I decided to take a break from my rigorous routine this week and a girl in my class said “Alex, are you sick?! You look horrible.” (*holds for reader reaction*) And while I would like to say that the comment was the most insulting one I have heard since someone called me a blogger last year, I smiled at my colleague and offered her an “I am okay. Just woke up late,” and went about my business. Hours later, and the sound of my peer’s voice still fresh in my mind, I came down to a single conclusion: people would be truly bare without makeup. Bare face = bare personality.

Imagine a world where a norm does not have to be makeup. A world where girls (nor guys) wear makeup and are therefore not judged by the appearance they have for the world. A world without makeup would be a world of bare souls, and though it sounds cheesy, it is true.

The reason I wear makeup is not because I am insecure (if I was, I would not choose to go without it some days of the week), but rather because it is an extra form of empowerment for me. When my makeup looks put-together, I feel put-together. However, I do not feel differently about myself when I ditch my daily makeup routine, and I do not view makeup as a chore either (who likes chores, anyway? If makeup were a chore, no one would bother to wear it).

In retrospect, I do not look at the ladies around me that do not wear makeup in a brighter light just because they are portraying “natural beauty” in a higher regard. Natural beauty comes from within, and while on the subject, “beauty” is a highly subjective term individuals tend to throw around as if there is one set standard for beauty (aside from the scientific standard, which is backed by studies).

Whether or not one looks “horrible” (for lack of better words) or “beautiful” whilst wearing makeup or not is seemingly a touchy subject mostly for girls. And I will not preach about the contentment one can find in loving oneself, as I am still in the process of mastering that art. But even so, I stand, as a woman, as a columnist, and as a fellow teenager to say that we are all beautiful–makeup or not.

So make-down, ladies. There is nothing wrong with a bare face.