“Eye Shadow, Eyeliner, and Mascara…”

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 Shared by Kristina Smedley

“Eye Shadow, Eyeliner, and Mascara…”

Three of my favorite items in my make-up bag!

I love the color combos and how they make my eyes pop.
I feel pretty when I wear them.
I feel put together and ready for the day… after the 10-15 minutes I spend applying everything perfectly!

I still remember in 8th Grade when my mom took me to a Mary Kay party at one of her friend’s houses. It was fun to hang out with all the ladies. To test out the products together and feel like a little adult.

I couldn’t pull myself away from the eye shadows! There were so many colors to sample!

“Purple, that makes my blue/green eyes even brighter!”
“Shimmery, I love it!”

I can only imagine what was going through my mom’s head, especially since she really doesn’t wear make-up.

I’m sure we left with all the cleanser and lotion an acne-faced 8th grader could ever need.

But what I remember most is my little bag of eye shadows and mascara! 
I couldn’t wait to get home and apply them! 
Maybe even wear them to school!

Now, fast forward 20+ years.
I still have a box filled with eye-shadows, with the staples in my “daily-use” make-up bag.
And purple and shimmery are still my favs!

But now, I often don’t put on eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara because I love them.

I mean, I do love them, but now they’re part of my routine because I feel like they have to be.

That’s how people are used to seeing me.
That’s the image I’ve created for myself.

What would people think if I came to work with only mascara on! OMG! Can you imagine!

But over the last few months, my mindset around this has really started to change.

First, because I need those precious 10-15 minutes in the morning.
I’ve created an enabling morning routine for myself, allowing me to read, write, and meditate before my day gets rolling.

To do the things that really matter to me!

And I’m not willing to get up at 4:30 just to have an extra 15 minutes for make-up application!

And second, because it honestly doesn’t matter.
I think I’m the only one who really notices if I wear eye shadow every day. Or if I add a little eyeliner for dramatic effect.

I go to work every day as a professional, appropriately dressed, and groomed.
But that doesn’t need to include perfectly applied and blended eye shadow schemes, eyeliner with wings, and multiple coats of mascara.

Preserving this perfect self-image is tedious.
And it’s also not authentic.

It’s intimidating and, I think in many ways, isolating from others.
(Yes, I’ve been told that before…
But that’s something we can go into more another day.)

For now, I’m choosing to feel beautiful whether I wear no make-up or all my favorites.
To work.
On the weekends.
With friends.
Whenever!

And with that, I have to run!
I have 20 minutes to shower, get ready, and be out the door… it’s a mascara only kind of day!

#MindfullyEvolving

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