Now, folks, let me tell ya somethingâif youâre reading this to find out some window rattling, earth shattering discovery, well then, youâre in for a surprise. Oh, yes you are! But I wonât spoil the fun just yet. Letâs start right at the very beginning, like every good story should.
The Chronicles of Bare Faces
Imagine this: a group of 50 women, each one brave enough to take the plunge and go without makeup for a whole month. I know some of you are thinking, âWell, Mary, I haven’t seen my own unvarnished face since high school!â So, I totally get how daring this sounds. But these women did it, and boy, the experience was something else.
First up, letâs paint a picture of Week One. Oh, the horrors! The sight of raw humanity plastered across all those faces. You might want to sit down for this partâyou know, clutch your pearls kind of moment. Imagine the shock of seeing your own wrinkles, blemishes, and natural uneven skin tones. It’s like looking in the mirror and seeing the years of wisdom written all over your face in bold capital letters.
The Ugly Truths and Beautiful Realizations
By the end of Week One, the initial shock of uncovering their bare skin wore off, but donât you think for one second that everyone was feeling chipper. Some reported (gasp!) breakouts and dryness. I know, I know. Say it ainât so! But letâs remember, every nightmare has its dawn, and these ladies persevered. It’s like a preacher once said in a Sunday sermon, sometimes you have to go through a little rain to appreciate the sunshine.
As they ventured into Week Two, something remarkable happened. Skin started to breatheâliterally. The natural oils adjusted, acne scars started to fade, and would you believe it, without the cocktail of daily beauty products, their complexions began to even out. Itâs almost as if their skin had a mind of its ownâwho wouldâve thought!
Moving into Week Three, these gals got a taste of true liberation. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, freedom from the shackles of daily makeup routines is something akin to throwing caution to the wind. The time they saved in the mornings was like finding a $20 bill in an old coat pocket. Many even spent their extra moments in good, old-fashioned prayer or reading scriptureâgo figure!
The Divine Revelation in Week Four
By the final week, the transformations were truly holy. Personal faith was restored in their unique features. Some said they felt closer to God’s image, embracing what they had once tirelessly tried to cover up. The sense of self and confidence they gained? Purely divine.
I reckon Proverbs 31:30 says it best, âCharm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.â Praise Him indeed for giving us the courage to step into our true selves. The newfound confidence among these ladies was as radiant as the noonday sun on a warm July 4th picnic.
ButâŠThe Return of Makeup
When the 30 days were up, several returned to their makeup habits. Now, donât go thinking they lost all that hard-earned self-loveâitâs simply that they found balance. They realized makeup should enhance, not mask, who they are. Many opted for a more natural look, foregoing the heavy foundations and bold colors for something subtlerâless pageantry, more plain olâ good sense.
One woman, Debbie from Georgia, said it best: âI feel I can now highlight Godâs work without feeling like I need to cover it up.â Well amen to that, Debbie! In the end, it wasnât about the makeup itself but what it represented. The understanding that our worth isnât tied to a product but to the values instilled in us, and that Southern grit, well, itâs irreplaceable.
The Final Blessing
So what happens when you stop using makeup for a month? Itâs nothing short of a blessingâa splendid revelation that what God gave us is more than enough. It’s almost as if we are beautiful masterpieces waiting for the world to see.
So, if youâre feeling a bit bold today, why not give it a whirl? Unmask yourself and let that God-given beauty shine through. Câmon, what have you got to lose? You might just gain a whole new appreciation for the self thatâs been hidden underneath the powder and paint all these years. By this point, if you haven’t realized the true gift, well, I dare say youâve missed the best part.
Until next time, may your inner beauty shine as bright as a morning sunrise over the good olâ USA. God bless!
-Mary