Not Mom.
When Mom reached her seventies, she’d ask me to do her eye makeup for her if she was going anywhere fancy. Now at 89, she doesn’t wear it. The skin around her eyes is too delicate to hold it.
Does anybody care or notice?
Mom misses it, but it’s like the least important thing she’s had to give up. And in a weird way, I think she’s kind of lucky.
I’ve been crowing about letting my natural gray or white (I don’t even know) hair color come out, but today as I applied my almost-daily eye makeup, the notion occurred that the real courage would come from stopping that. From throwing out everything but powder and lipstick.
Man, would that be fun!
I’ve been playing with eyeliner, shadow, blush, and lipstick since I was in 8th grade. Always loved it. For years I’d take advantage of those offers at department store cosmetic counters where you buy something and they’d gift you a set of something else. I had a ton of it in a box under the bathroom sink. Makeup was my thing.
Now? Free time is my thing. Rebellion is my thing. Breaking rules, thumbing my nose – my sixty-one-year-old thing.
Honestly, it’s not like I have a lengthy or tedious routine, but I’m curious what it would be like to stop even that 5-10 minute expenditure. There’s no risk, other than ego. Bill says he’s okay with it, and nobody else matters. Absent the occasional public appearance, why do it?
I think I’m going through a stage. First the gray hair, now the makeup. I’m like a guy who gets tired of shaving. Time to grow that beard. Ready to deal with the itch.
This is an amazing time of life. As one of my teachers, Jane Friedman, says, “there are no rules.”
After so many years, we might be hypnotized by habit, but that can change.
If I don’t want to wear makeup, I won’t. And I suspect many of you have gone there before me. Yes? Let me hear from you.
PS This afternoon, I’ll be visiting my hair salon for just a cut, no color. First time in thirty years I’ve only done half the process. Half the time, half the cost. Holy crap, I’m so excited! More later. In the meantime, here’s something fun and on point:
Related articles across the web
Well, what took you so long sis? Au natural rocks. Loved this post especially this line… Time is my thing. Rebellion is my thing. Breaking rules, thumbing my nose – my sixty-one-year-old thing.
Wish we lived closer so we could kick up our heels together!
GREAT post. I have seen various women in my lifetime stop wearing makeup and they look great. Now days there are news bits about some of the actresses who decide to go natural when they go our on their personal time, or even more often and they find it freeing. And they look great going natural.
Since I have not been working there are days I don’t wear any eye makeup,, which is the only major makeup I have worn anyway which is only eyeliner and mascara with occasional shadow. I wear it because I look better with it. When I don’t wear it, but am going out I will still put some lipstick on so I don’t look like a ghost, or sickly 🙂
Ann, good to hear from you. My big laziness lately is eyeliner, mascara, and shadow. Just don’t feel like taking the time anymore. But lipstick is kinda non-negotiable for the reason you gave.
Well, I figure as long as my face is washed, my hair looks decent, and have a bit of lipstick that is just me and anyone who doesn’t like me that way…well too bad.
Even with makeup, not everyone is going to like us anyway and so what. I’m sure not here for a popularity contest…he he he!
🙂
Make up? Just for certain occasions. Thanks for the thoughts.
And thanks for stopping by, Cecilia.
I gave up makeup about a century ago! It was too much work. 😉 My hairdresser won’t color my hair. She says that if her hair would gray the way mine is, she’d be a happy camper. I’m keeping it simple and enjoying the extra time and dollars I’m saving. Once in a while I think about makeup and haircolor but then remember I’m 72 now and could really care less. I LOVE the freedom aging brings!
Joan, I’m with you. For me, there’s a bit of passive/aggressive delight in it: if the world says I’m not worthy because I’m “old” then the hell with it. I’m going to take my toys and go play somewhere else.
But in a simpler sense, it’s just so beautifully freeing. This morning I was getting ready to go to my writing group, a place I typically wouldn’t go barefaced. But as I sat in front of my makeup mirror, I thought, might as well make my debut! So i put on powder (for shine) and lipstick (for color) and sailed out the door. So exciting not to spend the time – they don’t care, so why should I! Yet we do things more out of the comfort of habit than real thought. I guess this is another way of being mindful.
Nice essay, Lynne. You are attractive no matter what. Your intelligence is your foundation which comes through, makeup or not. Your choice.
Aw, Pat, such sweet words. Thank you! And good to hear from you.
Starting in 9th grade, I wore foundation, powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, and lipstick every day. In my 30s I got tired of taking the time and effort to apply all that every morning. I gave up all but powder, except for special occasions. Whenever I wear foundation and all the works these days it feels artificial, like I’m wearing stage make-up. Also, make-up doesn’t do for me, at 57, what it did for me when I had younger skin. I do color my hair, though, because gray makes my skin tone look dingy. Eventually I’ll give that up, too.
Janice, I think part of my passion to go nakedface is about not having the courage (or desire) to do it in the first 30 years of my adult life, since I was working and much more insecure. Now I feel so much freer that it’s an extension of that. But I admire your strength at that early age.
Nice, Lynne. You have such a great way with words. I wear make-up, but not nearly as much as I did when I was younger. During the day when I am just staying home or going to the grocery store etc. I put on a good sunscreen and I use bare minerals, too, but have switched to the liquid one and love it. Three drops is all you need on the brush and you’re ready to go. I always use a good eye cream. My eye skin gets patchy and red if I don’t. My hair is long because it is usually in a ponytail. I have given up taking a bunch of time to get ready for anything. I can shower, do my makeup and hair in 30 to 40 minutes. Why spend more time than that. I think what is important as we get older is that we, not our nosy neighbor or our jealous friend, feel good about how we look. And everyone has to decide what that ‘look’ is for themselves.
Judy, that is the truth. I refuse to compete with dewy-skinned young girls; this is their moment to shine, looks-wise. I had mine. In compensation, i get to look my age and not care that I’m not fooling anybody. I’m not TRYING to fool anybody. They can take me as I am or not at all – don’t make no nevermind to me, no how.
Going through the whole growing your natural hair color out ‘project’ really transforms you, through a ripple effect, and you are starting to experience that. 🙂
I wear make-up for ME. I’m very fair (I used to be called Snow White as a child/young woman, due to my translucent skin)…and I disappear without make-up. My husband doesn’t care. (I divorced the one who cared too much. LOL) I do it because I (capitalized, bolded) like the way I look with make-up. So it’s for me. The day I stop caring, is the day I, too, would stop using. 🙂
Same goes for high heels, panty hose, etc. I don’t use because I don’t like. Easy peasy. 🙂
Gwen, well said. There IS a ripple effect. I had not expected it. Nobody prepared me for this delightful feeling of freedom.
It depends on your perspective. Some women our age lament over “invisibility,” but if invisibility is not having to feel like sex on a stick anymore when I walk down the street, I’ll take it.
Lynne, it is funny, but at 65 i feel that when i wear make up to an “event” or nice dinner (especially eye shadow etc.) i just end up looking like an aging prostitute. A little bare minerals on the reddish spots and some fun lipstick is about it for me.
“Aging prostitute”!! LOL!!! you are too funny.
I stopped colouring my hair a few years ago. I gave up mascara when hot flashes caused me to look like a raccoon at the end of each day. I gave up lipstick somewhere along the road too. These days it’s just moisturizer, a bit of light foundation, a twitch of eyeliner, and BOOM sticks for some colour. You’ve given me something to think about, Lynne. Maybe I could simplify even more.
Linda, I like hearing that. I’ll check out BOOM sticks. And simplification is addictive! It frees you up for so many other things.
It’s not that getting gussied up isn’t fun once in a while, but I’m intrigued by the idea of rethinking old routines. Not just makeup: I get bad acid reflux, so instead of taking a bunch of meds, I’ve begun having dinner at 3:30 pm. The rest of the night I don’t eat/drink anything but water. It’s very interesting!
At 69, depending on my mood, I’m happy (relieved) to go without make-up. Other times, I really enjoy getting ‘dolled-up’. I stopped colouring my hair for a year but didn’t like the ‘pepper & salt’ look. When it is white/silver all over I’ll be very happy to stop colouring. One of the bonuses of getting older is to (finally) do what feels right: AKA freedom.