When I was in elementary school, I remember coming home and playing dress-up with my sister. We would play with fake makeup and act like we were adults. As I got older, the fake makeup became real makeup that we would lather on our faces.

Eventually my friends began to wear makeup to school. I stopped putting makeup on because my mom had stopped buying it because she knew we would waste it when we found it. I didn’t think my friends needed the makeup, but the more that they wore the makeup, the more I got used to seeing them in that way.

My freshman year in high school, I was in a school play. We were putting on stage makeup, and I asked the other girls in the room if I applied the makeup correctly. They reassured me, and then a conversation began about why we wear makeup.

For school play, it is to add character to your face and to make sure that your face is not lost in the bright light, which is why we always used darker foundation. Outside of theater, makeup is used for many reasons.

One of the upperclassmen in the room looked at me and said, “You don’t wear make up outside of performances, do you? I can tell because you don’t need it. You have a natural beauty. I wish I had that.”

Since then, I have always been determined to not wear makeup. One reason is because I can spend my money on other things, I don’t have to worry about my makeup smearing or getting messed up throughout the day, and because I want people to see me for how I was created.

I get blemishes, as well as everyone else. I understand not everyone is as comfortable with showing their flaws, so they cover up their face that may be covered in acne. Some other people might feel more confident when they wear makeup. At the end of the day when the makeup comes off and you are your natural self, you are still beautiful.

I never thought I would be asked to wear makeup until I got to college. Wearing makeup became a standard when dressing up. The few times that wearing makeup was asked, I did not. I can still be presentable without wearing makeup, and it annoyed me when I was first asked to. Those who asked this of me understood that.

They understood that those few that never wear makeup would not go and get makeup for the single event. It seems to be typical for people to wear makeup. What’s rare is not wearing it. I still don’t wear makeup and plan to keep it that way.

Karena Ozier is a freshman elementary education major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at kmozier@eiu.edu.