My mom has never worn makeup that I can remember. She did wear it on her wedding day, and occasionally before I was born, but as far as I know, she stopped wearing it just after my older sister was born. This would probably surprise a lot of people who know me well, but don’t know my mom, given that I love wearing makeup so much that I have to force myself (though sometimes it’s not that difficult) to go makeup-free at least one day a week. Though I didn’t learn how to wear makeup from my mom, I learned other lessons about wearing makeup from her. Today I want to share a few of those lessons with you.
I’ve learned that makeup should be used to enhance rather than mask. True, my mom didn’t teach me how to apply foundation, or whether I should wear cool tones or warm tones, but she did teach me that if I was going to wear makeup, I should use it to enhance the beauty I already have. I know that many women choose to wear makeup to cover things that they are insecure about, or to drastically change their appearance, but that has never worked well for me.
I’ve learned that I’m more than just a pretty face. My mom always encouraged me growing up (and still does) and while she would tell me that my hair looked nice or that I looked pretty often, she is more likely to compliment me on my achievements, my intelligence, or the other traits specific to me that make me unique. My insecurities about myself have never come from my mom, which I know isn’t always the case for many women (and should really be remedied). My choice to wear makeup was never influenced by my mom. She always taught me (and still does) that beauty comes from within and not from a tube of lipstick.
I’ve learned that am I truly an individual. I don’t look like my mom. Or my dad for that matter. Many people would say that I look like my sister (we had strangers ask if we were twins a few times growing up), or my brother, but I don’t look exactly like anyone in my family, whereas my brother looks just like my dad did at his age, and my sister looked just like my mom when she was little. My sister’s personality is also much more like my mom’s. When I would be upset about this when I was younger, my mom would always tell me “you look like you”. That’s true of my personality too. My mom does not like shopping, but I love it. My mom doesn’t read fashion magazines, but I was always curious about trends and fashion since I was younger, and would spend hours looking through magazines and flyers. My personality and likes and dislikes are a testimony to me that I came to this earth with a spirit that was already formed with those things, because there’s no way I would be the woman I am today if I was only influenced by the things my parents taught me.
When I have daughters of my own (or my nieces if we only have boys), I want to teach them more than just how to apply lipstick. Though beauty is an important part of my life, I’m grateful that I have the example of my mom to let me know that that’s not where my worth as a woman comes from.
Did your mom teach you how to wear makeup? What lessons have you learned from your mom?
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