No make up

Hello my friends!

I have a confession to make: I rarely wore make up until I was in my late 30s. Shocking I know!!!

I started wearing make up when I was a kid. My Mom would insist on applying powder to my face before attending a social event. I used to hate it. Then when I became a teenager, I was almost forced to wear make up, pressured by my classmates. One of the first make up I bought was black and gold lipsticks. I would mix both to have a very grown look. I actually remember that the first time I tried to apply make up, it was so bad, my classmates had to redo it for me. 

Fast forward to 24 years later and I am still not sure how to apply make up. I have lived most of my life not really needing it. I often joke that I would only wear make up once a year. I am not that confident in my bare face because it is not necessarily great. I have pimples all over, particularly around the time of my periods. I have tried several products (and still do) but nothing gives me clear skin. The only time my skin was clear was when I was pregnant. Go figure!

Knitted Hat - Thrifted

Oversized Blazer - Thrifted (Kiabi)

Oversized denim Jumpsuit - Sandaga market

Shoes - Adanif

Belt - random fair near my house

Yet, I did not mind going out sans make up. One of the main reason was that I did not know I needed it. Also I did not know how to apply it. On top of it, I was convinced that if I wore make up every day, I would be so addicted that I could not live without. Finally I could not be bothered, either it took to much time to apply or it was too hot to have something other than moisturizer on my face.



Gradually though, I started to put on make up. I always would go for a simple look: Bb cream, eyebrow pencil, mascara and lip gloss. Then for special events, I would add some eye shadows and lipstick. Funnily, I had lots of make up because I could not resist nicely coordinated palettes in beauty shops. When I was living in the US, I could find shades that compliment my skin tone so I did indulge. Whereas when I lived in Japan, I could never find what I was looking for.

Nowadays I wear make up at least once a week. Sometimes, if I have an event at work, or I have to attend a conference, I dress up and l put on make up. I also beat my face for outings with friends, family events or just because. I might wake up one day and feel like putting on make up, probably because I want to cover the dark circles I got from staying up late the night before. But I am not a slave to make up and I never want to be. I am happy that we are now living in a world where with one click I can have access to make up tutorials. I know more about make up now than I did when I first started at age 16. I often watch make up tutorials and learn a new trick or two. It can be overwhelming sometimes. I am aghast at the layers of foundation the beauty bloggers put on their face. Seriously my skin is oily enough, I do not need to add more to it.

Before I go, I will tell you about the make up product I swear by:

- Maybelline Fit me dewy smooth foundation
- Maybelline Colossal go extreme mascara
- Maybelline Fit me loose finishing powder (40 Dark)
- Kiko velvet passion matte lipstick (burgundy)
- LA Girls Pro conceal
- Maybelline super stay  matte ink (25 Heroine)
- Mac water proof foundation
- L'oreal Paris color riche Gold obsession (CP40 Rouge Gold) 
- Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

Please do not ask me about my skin care routine because it has not been working for me. All I do is wash my face with cleanser like black soap. I used to like St Yves apricot scrub but I cannot easily find it in Senegal. Nowadays I use brands like Byphase or Garnier to clean my face. I do not have a good moisturizer (shocking I know) but I apply fresh lime juice on my face every day, and vitamin E oil every other day, I also discovered that pure shea cocoa butter does wonders. I know why my skin is so bad: it is because of what I eat. I know oily food with cheese, mayo, chocolate have a bad effect on my skin. But I cannot stop myself from consuming it. I need help because I cannot live the rest of my life with adult acne. Any tips?