The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. -Mark Twain
No Makeup Required was created in 2009 during a moment of disbelief. I was at a bookstore, looking for a magazine to read. What happened next squeezed the air out of my soul.
“Look at her, she’s got cellulite on her legs. I hope I never look like that,” she said to her friend, pointing to the picture in the magazine.
“You won’t. Look at this one, that dress makes her butt look huge,” the friend said, laughing while pointing to another picture in the magazine.
These two girlfriends couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old. I just stood there. Paralyzed with disbelief. I was older and definitely out of high school, but I hear comments like these and worse all the time. These comments are said to me and to the women I know, and worse, we say them to ourselves.
“You’re lazy” “I have nothing to offer.” “Such a pretty face….” “You’re not wearing that, are you?” “You’re just a girl.” “Stay-at-home Moms aren’t smart.” “Career moms are selfish.” “She shouldn’t wear that, her thighs jiggle.” “I hope I am never that fat.” “You’re not smart enough.” “What makes you think you can do that?” “Is your house always this organized?” “Everything comes easy for you.” “Her life is perfect.” “She’ll fail.” “What will people think?” “You didn’t breast feed your baby?” “You actually cooked?” “You always… or you never…or she’s so…” And the list goes on.
Once back home, I shut the door to the world and the thoughts spun so fast I fell over and cried. I cried for me. I cried for all women. I cried for the girls yet to be born. I was fed up. Spent. At wit’s end. How come women say these things about ourselves or others? We deserve better.
Then it hit me. I realized what held women back from being their own women. From living the life we deserve. and it had been kicking my butt my entire life.
Women have two sides to themselves. The one they show the world, and the one that’s hiding behind a mask. There are three words standing in the way of a you being your own woman. Three words preventing you from ripping off the mask and finally being you. Three words.
Criticism, comparison, and competition.
Have you been in a group and you’re afraid to speak-up? Do you smile when you look in the mirror? At the end of the day, do you worry if you did everything right that day? Do you replay conversations in your head thinking how you screwed up? Are you a woman that feels jealous or competitive when a friend experiences success? Are you a woman who wants to feel good about her body but can’t? Are you a woman who wants to be herself, but can’t? Are you a woman who is sick and tired of hiding? Do you avoid other women because you might get hurt? Then you know what havoc these three words can create.
Criticism, comparisons, and competition are the enemies. They’re powerful foes. But they have a weakness.
If you look into your heart right now, is there a side of you hiding behind masks? The mask of perfection? Or the mask of “self-doubt”? Or the biggest, thickest and most stubborn mask of all? The mask of “You’re not enough.”I beg to differ, you ARE enough. Read that again. You.Are.Enough. Sorry, I will keep writing and saying it. Why? Because it is criticisms, comparisons, and competitions weakness. Their kryptonite. Their Achilles heel.
So, I started No Makeup Required(NMR) for you. To help you peel off those masks and uncover who you want to be. To kick criticism’s, comparison’s and competition’s butt. You can do it. Put on your heels, boots, flip flops, loafers or bare feet and get kicking. We will supply you with a stream of content about being your own woman, and that YOU.ARE.ENOUGH. There I said it again. I told you I wouldn’t stop.
Here at NMR, we all wear makeup, except for one brave soul, and love pop culture, shopping and fashion. Some of us wear heels, some run around in flip flops, I’m usually in bare feet. We work hard to give you helpful content for your life, to challenge the forces you encounter every day. Taking off your mask doesn’t mean taking off your makeup or fun clothes. It’s about freeing yourself from the masks holding YOU back.
Welcome to a new kind of website for women!
We believe…
*We can learn and be inspired by other women. Past and present.
*Beautiful is defined by living your truth. Being who you are and not apologizing for it.
*All women’s bodies are beautiful. Period.
*Each and every one of us has a gift to share with the world.
*We accept other women for who they are and what they contribute to the world. We are all needed to make this crazy blue ball spin in the universe.
Now let’s get kicking. Oh, and by the way, You Are Enough.
