Kelly Driscoll

Makeup. It can make us look put together, emphasize our favorite traits, make us feel powerful or just plain pretty. But makeup is also a tool we use to cover up things we don’t like; acne, scars, dark marks, dark circles, the list goes on.

In my early twenties I got very much into makeup. Not only did I want to enhance my look and frankly just feel pretty, I begun to learn and appreciate the artistry of making yourself look different with makeup. I was in college and studying for a theater degree so I was learning the ins and a outs of live theater and that included stage makeup.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to that class, but I learned such an appreciation for makeup artistry and I was attracted to the transformation of it all. Makeup was fun but it also allowed me to escape into a difference character, to be a different person.

And in a way we all do that to some degree when we apply makeup.

Over the coming years my makeup routine got more elaborate, I started to wear heavier foundation and more intricate eye makeup looks. I loved how foundation made my uneven skin tone look healthy, covered my acne scars and dark marks and helped me look more awake even after getting little sleep.

But eventually my heavy makeup got the best of me and I was left with skin that was very dull, congested and extremely textured.

This was the turning moment where I became interested in skincare. Like most people, I tried to google my way out of the situation (you can google your way through anything, trust me) and that is when I fell into the rabbit hole of the skincare community, those days it was on makeup alley and then reddit.

I learned about AHA, BHA and all kinds of fun skincare techniques like double cleansing (not fully removing that heavy foundation was a big part of my problem).

As I dived deeper into skincare I started to seek my glow, not from foundation or concealer, but from toners and serums.

As my skin improved my makeup routine changed.

I definitely credit my interest in Korean skincare and Korean beauty trends as a big reason why I favor natural makeup looks now. (glass skin, emphasizing big eyes and straight brows is very appealing and lends itself to a more natural look)

But what really made my philosophy change? My confidence.

Before I used to use makeup as a way to cover up my flaws, to hide. It coincided with a period of my life where I felt very confused and lost and my confidence was very low. I used to not be able to leave the house without makeup, I felt self-conscious and very exposed if I wasn’t wearing makeup. Makeup was a coping mechanism for me, but one that ultimately was hurting my skin and my confidence.

When I started to build a skincare routine and see results, I was hooked! My skin drastically improved and things I thought I just had to live with, hyper pigmentation, uneven skin tone and congestion went away and my skin just looked healthy and radiant.

I experimented with lighter forms of makeup like BB and CC creams and found that I enjoyed lighter, more natural looks over the heavier and more “made up” looks.

But ultimately I found that I was more comfortable in my skin than ever before.

Skincare brought me pride in my skin but it was also the key that unlocked a deep self-confidence that was buried inside.

Not only am I more comfortable in lighter makeup, but I’m also more comfortable with no makeup. Even when my bare skin isn’t at it’s best I feel comfortable showing it in public (or YouTube) because I no longer feel like I need to hide.

Skincare has made a big impact on my life and confidence but I see my makeup interest and subsequent makeup abuse as the start of my path to finding self-confidence.