7 Days Without MakeUp. An Update
My #7DaysWithoutMakeup challenge is now over and my thoughts on the topic required a separate post. So, here it comes. You can read part 1 about why I decided to do the experiment here.
It is firstly important to understand where I am coming from. In the capital city of mother Russia – Moscow, standards of dressing, beauty, and appearance as a whole are completely different from the ones here, in Vancouver.
Back home you are always expected to look presentable when leaving the house. What do I mean by that? To speak in more North American terms, a person is expected to be “dressed up” at any time out in the city. Almost close to never will you find someone, say, in sweatpants in Moscow. If you do see one, they would be considered individuals from a lower class. Although this is changing with fashion going all sporty and acceptable, the general perceptions still remains.
Having said that, I was used to always dressing up and doing my hair and make-up most of the times when I was out and about in Moscow. This habit and norm I brought to Canada with me. And it still is an integral part of me.
I’ve lived in Canada for more than 4 years now and of course got accustomed to Canadian ways. I wear an occasional hoodie, but you won’t see me in sweatpants, I’m sorry. I still get “why are you so dressed up?” or “are you going to some event?” questions pretty often. Now, don’t get me wrong I am not trying to bash North Americans for their lifestyles. My purpose is only to point out the differences in cultures.
Why did I ramble on about all this you ask? It is related to my #NoMakeup experiment, I swear. Let’s get into the results of the experiment!
7 days went pretty great. A few highlights: 
- Wearing no makeup saves roughly 30-40 mins of your day. No need to worry about waking up earlier to put it on and you can fall asleep without taking it off. BLISS.
- I could rub my eyes whenever I wanted without getting mascara all over my face. WIN!
- I could also not worry about foundation getting all over my shirt. DOUBLE WIN!
- Don’t know if my skin got healthier in just 7 days, but I’d like to believe that it got a nice break at least.
- I got so much support and “cheering on” from friends and people on Instagram. THANK YOU!
- Last point is related to my ramble above. It was liberating to embrace my nude face. Like I described, I was expected to look a certain way in Russia. Even though, I do believe that being presentable and dressing up are good things overall, you might get too dependent on them.
So what is the result of the experiment?
I will still continue wearing makeup as it is a form of expression and a form of art for me. I don’t get to draw/paint on a paper as often anymore, at least I can indulge in makeup artistry!
My Russian values continue to live on, but I am much more in control of them now. And I have the experiment and Canada to thank for that. Canada taught me that it’s okay to wear whatever you want in public (my Russianness will keep me in check with myself and my style ;)). And my experiment taught me to be comfortable in my own skin.
#IAmEnough and #YouAreEnough!
Instagram: sash_ru
Xoxo,
Sasha
