3 Mental Health Reasons Why I Still Do My Makeup During Quarantine
It’s not an act of vanity, it’s a version of art therapy.
A swipe of mascara and blush could be just what you need mentally right now. Take it from me, a professional makeup artist and beauty blogger, who knows the power behind the act of putting on makeup. It’s not just something to be seen on the surface, but truly has an effect on a person at a psychological level as well.
“Why bother with putting on makeup during a pandemic?” you say.
“No one is going to see me anyway.”
It is a well known fact that this global crisis has created a sense of anxiety, depression, and uncertainty. Gosh I’m sick of that last word, but it fits. For many of us that have social distanced from family, friends, and coworkers, there has been a lot of alone time. The workplace, date nights, and happy hours have now become located in our kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms. The only ways we are seeing other faces is via Zoom or a FaceTime call.
Many have admitted they are currently living life in loungewear and no makeup because it’s pointless to get ready anymore…right?
Wrong I say.
My goal as a professional makeup artist has always been to cosmetically transform a person’s self image to make them feel like their most confident and best self. Personally, that’s also the outcome I am looking for when I apply my own makeup.
It’s not about completely changing the way a person looks (although it CAN be if that’s what you’re going for), but just to enhance the natural beauty that’s already there. One of my all-time favorite quotes is from celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown. She said, “I believe that all women are pretty without makeup — but with the right makeup can be pretty powerful.” Spot on.
I’m no therapist, but I have read many self help articles confirming that during times of crisis, some simple keys to managing anxiety usually consist of creativity, focus, and control. Applying our own makeup requires all of those things.
ROUTINE
Reason one to continue to do your makeup while under quarantine is the act of keeping a ROUTINE. I’m a mom of three and know that children and adults alike thrive on routines. Daily routines provide the feeling of stability and predictability, which ultimately makes us feel safe and like WE are in control.
But lately, many of our old routines have been upended, so something as simple as continuing to put on your makeup can keep a little of that routine in place.
Say your new office is your kitchen table and your job only consists of doing computer work and joining conference calls via Zoom. You should still put on your makeup like you’re actually going into the office. It helps to separate your stay at home life from your job when you take the time to get yourself “work ready”, which can ultimately make you feel more productive.
Even if your job is a stay at home mom, you certainly were getting out of the house before all of this happened. You remember those days, right? It was a mothers morning out group or to make a grocery run. I’d guess the chances are pretty high that you did your makeup before you would go conquer those tasks. But now that your stay at home mom status is more literal than ever, that doesn’t mean you should give up on that makeup routine. In fact, it’s more important than ever now for self-care purposes and consistency.
CREATIVITY
In my second point, I’d argue that putting on your makeup during a pandemic provides you a CREATIVE outlet. I have heard many times that tapping into creativity can help with mental and physical health and improve brain function.
No doubt you have seen those adult coloring books, which have become so popular and marketed as a form of stress relief. I have one, okay more than one! That’s because they allow you to stretch your creative side and force you to take time away from the outside world and from staring at your phone.
Which, let’s be frank. Most of the news outlets, updates, and social media notifications on our phones can make us very stressed out and anxious.
Even the simplest makeup looks require a bit of creativity. The act of choosing a specific shade of pink lipstick and staying in the lines to put it on your pout, or swiping that mascara on to bring your eyelashes to life, is a form of art.
On the flip side, maybe you’re not a huge makeup person, but have always wanted to be. Maybe you have been too intimated to go out in public wearing a shadow color that was a bit of a stretch from your normal safe neutral eyeshadow palette. Well now that you are at home more, this could be the PERFECT time to indulge into your creative juices and try practicing new makeup looks. Think about how fun it would be to try that winged eye or finally learn how to apply those false strip lashes with no judgement from the outside world!
FOCUS
Lastly, continuing to do your makeup while sheltering in place, will allow you to focus on yourself, even if it’s only for a brief amount of time. We are all so worried and consumed about other things out of our control during this pandemic,that we barely take a moment to stop and take care of ourselves. And that’s not healthy.
Remember the popular oxygen mask spiel from airlines that you heard when your plane was taxiing and about to take off? You know the one where the flight attendant demonstrates the process to focus on putting on your oxygen mask first, before then helping others. Why is this important? It’s so you can protect yourself first, which then allows you to safely and confidently aid them without passing out.
Oh, I know I know that applying foundation is not as important as breathing oxygen. The point I’m trying to make is, if wearing makeup before quarantine has been something that made you feel confident enough to handle whatever came your way throughout the day, then it should still be important now.
The small act of gazing into the mirror to look at yourself in the eye and focus on your makeup (or even skincare routine for that matter) can be a necessary way to check in with yourself. Consider it a form of “makeup meditation”, but with your eyes open.
I say all of this because I have applied my full makeup every day since the whole lockdown started back in March. There’s no one around for me to try and impress — just my three kids, my husband, and the occasional zoom call happy hour with my mom friends.
But I don’t apply makeup for those reasons or people anyway. Continuing with the daily routine of “putting on my face” has given me a small sense of normalcy during this abnormal time. I apply makeup just because it makes me feel good about myself. It might make you feel good too and it doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.
