I never knew how much it bothered me until I woke up one morning, face free from crusty mascara that had managed to evade makeup remover from the night before.
But, a week ago, when I decided on a whim not to coat my face in makeup (not that I wear that I wear a lot anyway), I got to experience that crust-free sensation and have been loving it.
Every morning, I've gotten to sleep in that much longer and have left the house feeling the freedom of a makeup-free look.
In all honesty, I've been inspired by nature to don this "nature-al" look. When you live in a state that is known for its pristine, rugged, and raw landscape, you can't help but feel the desire to emulate that from within yourself.
While I adore donning a red lip and am constantly attempting to perfect my winged eyeliner (did you know that winged eyeliner was worn to ward off the evil eye in ancient Egyptian times?), there is something so liberating about going out into the world, naked and fresh faced.
Beauty is the celebration of being your singular, unique, and special self. It's about exalting the natural beauty you were born with. I'm in no way condoning the usage of makeup as a distraction or distortion of the natural self, I'm simply celebrating how I felt when I made the choice to allow my face to breath this fine Alaskan air.
Being makeup free made me feel more connected to the earth, more in sync with Alaska's pure inner beauty. See, Alaska doesn't need skyscrapers, celebrities, box-businesses or billboards atop her soil. Her fishing, hunting, hiking, and natural assets are what draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to her soil each and every year.
Alaska is known for her beauty in the most simple sense. She isn't fluff, isn't frivolous, but raw in her most beautiful and natural self.
And she embraces that, all of her nature-al looks. She knows what she's got and she isn't timid about sharing that with the rest of the world...
