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How has makeup changed your life?


How has makeup changed your life? Share!

When I was younger, it definitely helped me “fake it ’til you make it.” Now, it’s a career path that I wouldn’t have thought was open to me 15 years ago!

Thanks to Summer for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

38 Comments

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xamyx Avatar

It’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, so it’s been a constant. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed, and I’m glad I have the option to wear it, but if it never existed, I wouldn’t be a different person… If we lived in Victorian days, or in a country where it wasn’t “proper”, I wouldn’t feel a need to go against social norms and wear it anyway.

Katherine T. Avatar

When I wear makeup, I just feel more beautiful and confident, so for me, it’s been a game changer. I’ve always loved makeup, but over the past 2 years, I’ve become obsessed, so while I look great, my wallet has become a lot lighter! I don’t have that many vices, but it’s an expensive one!

Julia Avatar

Makeup has really brought down my college GPA. The amount of time spent on Temptalia and applying makeup before school has really taken away from time spent on school work, sleep, and studying. I seriously need help!

Madelyn Avatar

My makeup lets me feel like “me”. Without makeup I am how I was born but with my full face working I am how I have invented myself. Plus, reading about makeup, putting it on, touching it, anything having to do with it, really, helps calm me. I love the stuff. 🙂

Ryou Avatar

I used to be an aspiring artist, which stems in part from me unknowingly self-medicate with art therapy to treat my (then undiagnosed) mental illnesses. However, a few years ago, I started dealing with chronic pain on my drawing hand, which more recently diagnosed as an overuse injury on my thumb and wrist. I could barely draw, and considering I was relying on art-therapy in order to stay alive, it was a huge blow.

Then I realized that doing make-up doesn’t hurt my hand nearly as much, mainly because holding make-up brush doesn’t require nearly as much pressure as holding a pencil. Since then, make-up became my creativity outlet, and while I’ve learned other coping mechanisms, it’s just nice to have options.

Natalia Avatar

Well, I don’t know how drastic of a change we are talking about here. If it’s like 180, then the answer would probably be no. Then again, I would not know how my life would be without it, cause using at least some minimal makeup to enhance your features has been a given for me since I was young.

That said, if the change means a boost of confidence from looking well-groomed and polished, then hell yeah! Especially now, when I cannot be considered a youth anymore 😉 , I need all the extra help I can get and makeup does that perfectly. I’d also have to answer yes if the change means it gave me something I’m passionate about and happy to spend my time and money on.

ilovemakeup Avatar

It’s definitely improved my life by helping me relieve stress (unless I’m trying to perfect winged liner 🙂 ). Checking Temptalia and the beauty channels I follow on YouTube definitely helps me enter my zen mode at the end of the day! Without make up and beauty, I’d probably be a little more stressed and my skin would definitely be more of a mess.

Sarah Avatar

My bank account! LOL (Seriously, Christine, after this recent sale from Sephora, you should have a special post-sale post where people can brag about their hauls, but I digress).

I was always kind of a bargain shopper and never really did anything to “treat” myself. When I discovered how much I really LOVE luxe brands, it became my guilt pleasure, my form of self love. I love how putting on a red lip changes my whole attitude.

Janet Avatar

i completely agree!! I would love to hear what everyone bought during the sale! And also what were the runners up to purchasing and how they are loving their new purchases! That would be a great post

Jade Avatar

It has caused me to scrutinise my face so much that i now realise that my features are very symmetrical and actually quite pretty. I no longer look in the mirror and cringe believing i am ugly or plain, which has done wonders for my confidence.

Raeanne Avatar

Getting into makeup has given me the knowledge of how to both cover up AND treat my acne… so I feel much more comfortable in my own skin. I also love color, but tend to wear mainly black and neutral clothing, so makeup (and a nail polish obsession) allows me to play with colors and create my own style in life. 🙂

fancie Avatar

Makeup has changed my life in so many ways! At first, it was just a way for me to look more my age (I seriously look 12 without makeup) but the more I played with it and experimented the better I got and the more I learned. Not just about makeup and beauty but about myself as well. Like you, I finally discovered what it is I’d like to do in life. All while becoming more confident and business savvy. Makeup has become a huge new, fun part of my life. I couldn’t go on without it!

Heather F. Avatar

It’s provided me with a fun new hobby/interest, but other than that it allows me to go out in public without being self-conscious about my skin. That is a lovely gift. : )

Lauren Avatar

I started traveling for work over a year ago and it really took a toll on my weight and health. I’ve never struggled with getting back in shape until now. It has been a struggle and I started diverting my will to better myself beyond just working out and eating healthy but to also focus on making the most out of my appearence . Results on getting my body back has been extremely slow so I started to think of other ways I could try to improve and I got really into makeup over the past six months. Before that I was really just a tinted moisturizer girl with some chapstick. Now I know that I have hooded eyes and why winged eyeliner never really worked and own about 10 different foundations. It’s turned into a great hobby and I continue to pursue learning and perfecting more, same with my workouts!

rachel Avatar

check out tone it up! it looks cheesey but they do a lot for free if you didn’t want to pay for the nutrition plan (but it makes a huge difference). i have a metabolic disorder and spent 10 years trying to lose weight and ended up buying the plan finally on cyber monday; i’ve lost 30 pounds since then. i wish you the best of luck- take care of yourself emotionally and it makes the choices to lose weight easier.

mina Avatar

Yes, I see makeup as a form of art…although I do not dedicate my free time into painting or pottery etc etc… I do love to design the “art” onto my eyelids, checks and face. It’s a very fun, but expensive hobby for sure. Bad I have no interest what’s ever into becoming a makeup artist it’s just something fun that I like to do for myself and is also a good escape away from depression for me.

Nikki Avatar

It… gave me a hobby and an infinite void to toss my disposable income into. lol!

Somewhat more meaningfully, I like that it gave me an easy in into so many female dominated communities online. I spent I think seven years or so as a Makeup Alley regular. Honestly, as a community, I find it a bit of a mixed bag there which ultimately led me to leave a few years back (that and how much TIME you can sink into it, my god!!) but I got a lot of entertainment and a pretty good amount of insight from my time there, and it’s pretty cool that it all started because I googled this weird blue lipgloss I got from MAC when I was 15. I’ve continued to seek out very female dominated spaces online because I feel more comfortable in them and am very put off by the kind of hostility towards women that often gets a bit of a pass in more young man centered spaces, and even a fair number of more neutral ones. I feel fortunate that makeup gave me an introduction to online communities that allowed me to remain sensitive to that type of thing. 🙂

miekogirlie99 Avatar

Just the other year i decided I needed a change & started to work on myself. i was doing the whole eating right thing & getting rid of junks, etc. Then i got to my makeup & realized it was kind of old so i thought, use it up & can get rid of it! So in the effort to do that, i made myself put on my face everyday but that got me into the practice of doing it & now i just enjoy the whole transformation. This change gave me the incentive to want to learn different techniques, watch tutorials, reading blogs online, etc. Makeup has changed my life in such an unexpected way, its hard to describe. I now have something I am confident at & feel good about.

Nicole Avatar

I have a chronic illness and there are more days than not that I feel like laying in bed all day and sobbing. But, that’s not going to accomplish anything.I truly enjoy putting on makeup. I always think that when my daughter is a little older, I will maybe get a second job at a makeup counter or sephra/Ulta/Nordstrom Beauty just for fun( and the discount). So, I get a double helping getting to do something I like and some “me” time while I do my makeup.But, Mosty,I like that I can change my looks up and have fun with it and I don’t look “sick” because I don’t see the point in wallowing in it.

Rachel R. Avatar

Nothing terribly life-altering. It is a lot of fun for me, and helps perk me up when I a have a bout of depression. I have chronic, severe general and social anxiety (I hide it well, but it’s always there), and I find purchasing just the right makeup, organizing it, and most of applying it to be soothing and a creative outlet. It helps me feel better in social situations knowing I’m happy about how I look. I like being able to do something about my super-oily, super-pale, acne-prone skin. I love getting compliments on my makeup. I like changing people’s perceptions about overweight people, that we’ve given up on ourselves, don’t care how we look, and are lazy. People tell me (surprised), “You’re so pretty!” Not “You’d be pretty IF you lost weight,” or “It’s a shame you’re fat, because you have such a pretty face.” Just, “You’re pretty.” I like that.

Genevieve Avatar

I have always loved wearing makeup since I was 12 years old. I love the way it accentuates my good features and makes me feel confident, colourful and happy. Because I have always worn it, it hasn’t changed my life but it certainly has helped me to feel and look good.

Victoria Avatar

Being a cosplayer at anime conventions, makeup had been a huge impact in my life because I just love how a little can go a long way. In most cases, makeup can make me look completely different. I haven’t been the kind of girl that wore makeup during high school. Until I started working, I’ve been conscious of my appearance and I wanted to do more. Afterwards, I’ve been making friends of cosplayers who do makeup amazingly. That also got me into makeup and cosplaying. The most amazing thing is that I learn to love myself a little more and see how far I can go.

I also think it’s cool that makeup could make me look feminine or masculine. XD

Laia Avatar

It has not really changed my life, I see it more as a way of enhancing my traits and look more polished/professional. If I did not wear it on a regular basis I would be asked for my ID way more often than now – I look younger than I am which is nice, not 10-15 years ago haha.

Emilie Avatar

I started wearing makeup when I was around 12 to cover up awful acne, and back then, it was about looking good. I didn’t /really/ get into it until my Freshman year of high school. I’ve always been very shy and socially anxious, but learning about makeup and wearing more “daring” looks helped me be more confident and break out of my shell a bit. Now, I’ll wear purple lipstick to school and not be worried about people’s judgments, because it makes me feel awesome and I’ll certainly get more compliments than weird looks! People often come to me for tips or ask me what I’m wearing. Even when someone said “Wow, that’s rather shocking looking”, I said “Thank you!”, moved on, and felt better than ever instead of thinking twice because I’m not wearing it for anyone but myself. It’s my creative outlet 🙂

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