just a lil late

For a long time, I did not like nor care for makeup. While my sisters slathered their faces in foundation and powder, I slathered mine with lotion. Whenever I would get my makeup done by them for events, I felt like a stranger. My skin didn’t feel right. Sometimes, I even felt like a clown even though my makeup was far from that of a clown’s! When I’d get home, I couldn’t wait to clean off all the makeup and feel like me again.

It wasn’t until the start of the pandemic that I began journeying into makeup. One brand stood out to me in particular and that was Tower 28. Their ads would show up once in awhile on my social feeds and one day, I decided to go check out their page and I liked how their brand wasn’t about caking on makeup. They made wearing makeup look light, effortless and actually fun! I took a chance and purchased a few colors from their cream blush line and I’ve been a fan ever since.

For the first time, in my late 20s, I was actually wearing makeup – on my own terms! It felt natural. I didn’t feel like I was wearing a mask. Later, I started wearing foundation, but it didn’t jibe with my skin, so I began just using concealer (all from Tower 28) on certain areas of my face instead. I even began curling my lashes and would sometimes just go out with curled lashes and no makeup if 1) I’m lazy and 2) where I’m going isn’t that important for a full face of makeup.

The journey took so long because I needed the makeup industry to change for low-effort girlies like me. The pandemic was the perfect moment – no one was caking on makeup like before because we had to mask and the shutdowns meant less social events to go to. So, in turn, low effort makeup became popular and companies like Tower 28 thrived. It worked out perfectly for me!

I ventured out to different makeup brands over the years, but a majority of my collection stays consistently Tower 28 (what can I say, I’m a loyal customer lol). For skincare, I’ve been loyal to a brand called DRMTLGY. No one warned me about how bad adult acne can get in your 30s! Everyday was I was waking up to small pimples and bumps around my face, mainly forehead and around my mouth area, leaving nasty scars. I sought out a brand that could help improve my skin and DRMTLGY has been working wonderfully (as long as I’m consistent, which I need to work on). It is on the pricier end, but you’re paying for medical-grade skincare that really does work. I highly recommend for those in the same boat as me!

I never thought that I would get into makeup. The industry has changed so much to be more inclusive. No, you don’t have to do a 10-step makeup routine or skincare routine anymore. Gone are those days of having to “bake your face” and contouring your nose. For the average girlies like me, a little bit is just fine.