WEAR MAKEUP OR STAY AU NATUREL?

Dear Jellybean,

I am 17 years old and a junior in high school. I don't wear make-up and have actually never really worn it. I don't have my ears pierced either and am not planning to. I have a few friends who keep telling me that I should polish my nails and get my ears pierced. One of them also keeps insisting that I would look so pretty if I wore make-up like mascara and eye shadow. The reason I don't wear make-up is that I want to be myself and feel like I dont need make-up to make myself look pretty. Also I don't like the whole aspect of girls trying to make themselves look pretty for guys with make-up and stuff. I mean guys don't do that so why should I? What do you think? Now I am starting to wear nail polish on my toenails though because they look pretty ugly without it in flip flops. What do you think about this whole make-up thing? I mean I know I might have more self-esteem if i did wear make-up (i have a self esteem problem) but then I'm afraid I would no longer feel pretty without make up. What should I do?!
Thanks,
Ms. Au Naturel

Dear Ms. Au Naturel,

My wish for you is that you stay true to yourself. Makeup is lots of fun, for sure. But nobody really "needs" makeup. Whether or not you decide to start wearing it is a personal decision, and not something you should do just because "everyone" else is doing it.

It all comes down to self-esteem, really. If you're happy with yourself without makeup, you're probably miles ahead of your friends in the self-esteem department. It's lovely that you feel like yourself without any makeup at all, and it would be a shame if you changed just to please your friends, instead of pleasing yourself.

You mention having a self-esteem problem, but I'm not convinced that makeup is the answer. I think you need to become more confident about making your own choices, and sticking by your own decisions. That's partly just about getting older, and gaining the maturity to be yourself, and be comfortable in your own skin.

As for why girls wear makeup, when guys don't have to, some girls would say that's a huge benefit of being female. If we're feeling blah, or want to just look different for a day, we can put on makeup, even just some tinted Chap Stick, and change up our look, and even our mood. It's like being able to wear different outfits - it's another way to express our creativity, enhance our features, draw attention to cute areas of our face, etc. Guys don't "have" to wear makeup, but they don't "get" to either. If a guy is plain looking, or in a dull mood, he's kind of stuff - it's not like society is okay with him changing up his eyes with liner or shadow.

But some girls do see the whole makeup thing as a burden, not a pleasure. If that's you, there's no reason to start wearing makeup. Thank your friends kindly for their thoughtful suggestions, but explain that you feel great the way you are, and you're sticking to your au naturel ways, at least for now.

I do hate to hear you call your natural toes "ugly" though. Especially when the hottest toenail trend this summer is neatly trimmed nails, with clear or no polish! No part of you is ever "ugly" without makeup. Makeup is only there to enhance - not hide - your natural glory.