• the217
• Life
• Editor's Note

Sometimes I feel like a slave to beauty products. I’m not sure whether it’s insecurity, or social convention, or simply wanting to look in the mirror and see one sexy mama, but I just can’t go au natural.

I think the last day I wore zero makeup was in seventh grade, and it felt horrible. Of course I was going through that awkward, why-is-my-body-growing-boobs, will-boys-ever-like-me phase, and attempting to groom myself like the models in fashion magazines seemed like the only solution to this horrible turn of events.

Since then I have been on the makeup/hair routine wagon, and I have recently realized the financial sacrifices we ladies make to keep up with each other.

Yesterday the cord to my hair straightening iron finally frayed after a year and a half of daily use and abuse. Since embracing my natural hair texture is no longer an option, I quickly journeyed to Target in a frenzy to replace my hair torture device. I opted to forgo the fancy-pants, $129 CHI straightening iron that is basically the best on the market, and selected a ceramic straightening iron by Remington that I chose merely based on its silver and light blue packaging and its $39.99 sale price.

I can’t tell you how many of these $40 devices I have purchased over the years, and it makes me ill to think about it. Why is it that women can’t feel good about themselves unless their hair is smooth, their body is hairless and they’re wearing a mask of makeup? What are we hiding from? Men walk around looking like hell all the time, so why can’t we?

This week I am making a goal for myself to ditch the hair and makeup routine for at least one day, and to stop worrying about impressing other people. If they can’t accept me for who I am, then fuck ‘em. Maybe if we all just looked like ourselves all the time, this wouldn’t be an issue.