No Makeup March

No Makeup March: What a Month Without Eyeliner Taught Me About Boundaries

Say no to say yes.

I made it a week into March and hadn't worn makeup, so I decided to commit to it. I created No Makeup March. I realize the no makeup trend is not a new thing, but it was new to me. I work from home most days, so makeup doesn't play too big a role in my life. I was curious about no makeup date nights, and no makeup meetings. Truth be told, they were a little scary at first. Gradually, they became liberating. Wandering around for a month without makeup taught me a lot. I though I knew what it would teach me, but there were some pretty big surprises too. 

Surprise: NO SUNSCREEN!

I sat out in the sun for a whole morning with my mom and got mega sunburn. I have been taking for granted the hidden SPF in many of my products. So, I guess I have to admit, makeup is good for you in some ways. 

Surprise: I PUT IN MORE EFFORT

Without my eyeliner wing(ed) woman, I put a little more effort into my outfits. I wore shoes that sorta matched. I wore jewelry. I spent time on my hair. I got my eyebrows waxed. It was a nice way to change things up. No Makeup March allowed me to take a step back and evaluate my whole look.  

No Surprise: NO ONE CARED

I repeat, no one really cared. I think people were interested in the idea. But no one seemed to be horrified by the fact that I would show my face in public without makeup. I got a few high fives, and no gasps of disgust. (Thanks, friends!)

No Surprise: I HAD MORE TIME / Surprise: I STILL WASTED IT

I did save about 30 minutes every morning. But I have no idea where that time went. Some days it went to more sleep. Yay! Other days to more time creeping on social media. Boo! 

THE BEST Surprise: IT TAUGHT ME ABOUT BOUNDARIES

This is the best part. This no makeup manifesto taught me more about boundaries. Learning to say "no" to myself every morning was helpful in learning to say "no" to bigger things. I used to think boundaries were about pushing people away and protecting yourself. I realized in this challenge that boundaries are about saying "no" so you can say "yes" to something more meaningful. When I said "hellz nah" to makeup, I was saying yes to a plan I had put in place. I was strengthening my commitment muscle. It was a small no/yes, but it helped me get acquainted with the process. 

So will I be wearing makeup today? Probably not, but maybe. Mascara would be nice! We will just have to see! What about you? Have you learned any lessons from unexpected places recently? Would love to hear about it!

Hugs!
Mads