Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Great Reveal.

Before we even get started today I have a confession to make. Two confessions actually. The first is that I have sat on this blog post for about six months debating about whether or not I really wanted to stick my mug all over the page and then post it out into the great big webosphere. The second is that I never, ever, NEVER, under any circumstances leave my house without make-up on. Did I mention, NEVER ?

Sometime back, actually not long after I took these photos, the lovely Jodie over at Mummy Mayhem, initiated a bloggers without make-up day. This day took the blogging world by storm and brought up many interesting debates about just how comfortable women were in their own skin. I clearly fell into the 'I would rather die a thousand deaths then show my bare face to the world' category.....until now that is.

Actually these photos started as a personal experiment. After years of sitting down and spending at least thirty minutes each day meticulously applying all my make-up, I thought it would be interesting to break it down into stages to see what I could skip and what really did seem to make a difference.

Anyway....I think that I've procrastinated as long as I can.....so here's me, without a a single speck of make-up and a suitably unimpressed expression :


I'm sure that you can appreciate, in the interest of not alarming small children, I took this first shot from a little bit further back....eek.

Now this is more like it. Here we've tamed the wild brows, applied concealer and powder and a dusting of bronzing powder..oh yes, and I managed a small smile.

Next, the eyes, five shades of eye-shadow (I'm all about subtlety), eye liner and mascara.

A slick of lip gloss.

And, ta da, here's the end result, and a far more happy looking Waffler.

Oh, and just for fun, here's what happens when you send your photo through to the ever-so-clever @gotads on Twitter. I may have borrowed Miranda Kerr's hair but the cleavage is mine, ALL MINE I tells ya, and you know I would never tell a lie...well...most of the time...
So there you have it, the make-up journey I take nearly every single day. I'll be the first to admit that I'm insanely jealous of women who can just get up and leave the house (especially that woman on the commercial who rolls out of bed, pulls her hair into a ponytail and dives out the window, she's my own personal hero) and perhaps the day will come when I can have the confidence to walk out the door in my mostly natural state...but I will never leave the bushy brows....over my dead body.

15 comments:

  1. How very brave of you to do this hun, i cannot leave the house without powder on, ever since i had my now Mr 2! i think you look gorgeous with or without make-up, your skin is perfect!
    and you look hot on the cover of Page six!

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  2. You look great without the make-up, but it's definitely interesting to see the evolution.

    The amazing thing though is that all that make-up - it sounds like a lot in the description and the time - winds up looking really natural. Which is a great thing.

    I generally never leave the house without some form of make-up, though frequently on weekends that just means a little concealer. But even on weekdays when I'm full foundation etc, it's still only a 5 minute job. As low maintenance as possible.

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  3. Well, I think you lovely in both the before and afters.

    I used to wear makeup all the time, before I had the kids and became a house frau. Perhaps I should take more note of the fact that people say "you look well" only on the days when I trowel on the makeup!

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  4. Golly, you're pretty thing either way. Look at your cheek bones and jaw-line!

    I never wear makeup because I couldn't be stuffed. But you've made me think maybe I should put some lipstick and eye-liner on occasionally.

    I just worry it'll just make me look older.

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  5. I'm a non makeup person myself but am impressed with your brave reveal to the whole wide world. You look juts fine without the make-up, but I do prefer the smile, or at the very least, the smirk!

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  6. Well done! You look lovely in the first photo though but I still think you're very brave....there is no way I could do this! I have been out without make-up on, sure, what's the big deal.....does it still count at night time?...wearing a balaclava?.....Hhmmm....

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  7. You are so bloody gorgeous naturally! Here's where I confess I rarely wear makeup mainly because I am just too freaking lazy and just never learned how to apply it properly. Mum was dead against it growing up and almost made me feel silly for wearing it.

    I watched my girlfriend apply it in my car the other day and man, in an instant it transformed her, just the eye makeup. The way she did it hurtling down the road at 100 kms (I was driving) amazed me.

    So, thanks for sharing, you look amazing either way x

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  8. You are so very beautiful with and without makeup!

    Thank you for sharing:)

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  9. I think you are gorgeous with or without, truly!
    I almost never wear make up 'cause I'm plain lazy. I also have extremely sensitive skin that doesn't react so well to everyday doing up. However, I find a little lipstick never hurt anybody.
    Did you see my self portrait experiment post over at my place...terrifying. Maybe I should try to get other bloggers to join me, you?

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  10. Truly, hon...you look gorgeous without a scrap of makeup on! Your skin is amazing.

    I did BWM Day because I, firstly, wanted everyone to know that I wasn't the glam shot I had on my Twitter account at the time (and the shot on my blog at the mo was taken the day after my 40th b'day when my hair was still professionally coiffed - and I had make up on). That's not the 'real' me, and to be honest, my family love me just the way I am, and that's all that matters. It was great when so many others decided to 'bare all' and realise that there's nothing wrong with a bit of makeup, but what matters is that you're comfy in your own skin.

    And hey - better late than never to join in, right? There's always next year! ;) xxxxx

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  11. I often feel that I should make more effort so that I would look like your 'after' picture (er, not the one with Miranka Kerr hair). I'm like @Lola Nova in the too-lazy-to-make-up stakes, but I'm over 40 now and it takes a LOT more work to make me look half as good as I used to. At least it would if I tried!

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  12. HONEY! You look amazing. You have the most amazing cheekbones EVER! PHWOAR! I mostly do not leave the house without make-up on. But sometimes I do. I'm self-conscious, but I force myself to do it!

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  13. You are all very sweet, thank-you xx

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  14. You're a brave lady!
    Thanks for the honesty...
    Personally the only makeup I've been wearing lately is mashed banana!

    xx Amy

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  15. i saw this post the other day & thought "wow" you are absolutely stunning!!
    well done on posting this, you definitely have nothing to be self conscious about.

    thanks also for the sweet words..mwahhhh ♥

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