Why talk about makeup?

Growing up, I was a huge tomboy; I loved baggy trousers and skater shoes, I cut the bows off my first bra, and I refused to wear makeup. I would never have predicted that, at the age of 22, I'd have such a keen interest in the beauty industry.

Most of the blogs I follow are beauty-based, and the people that run them are so passionate about the products they're writing about that I guess it's rubbed off on me a little. I'd quite like to start reviewing some of the makeup and beauty products I use, and, knowing that this can be quite a controversial topic, I've thought a lot about the aim of this sort of post.

When I started wearing makeup at about 15, I was really, really self-conscious about my pale skin. I desperately tried to cover up my freckles- which I absolutely hated- with this awful, cakey L'Oreal powder foundation which wasn't suitable for my dry skin at all. I had no-one to teach me about makeup, but (more significantly) I had no-one to tell me that I really didn't need to hide under a layer of cosmetics. It took a few years, but my relationship with makeup is now a healthy one. I don't wear a lot, and what I do wear is there to accentuate my natural features; the only things I try to hide are the bags under my eyes after I've had a late night...

An ex-boyfriend of mine bemoaned the wearing of makeup, saying it was pointless because most guys preferred a natural look. Quite frankly, what you look like is no-one's business but your own, and no man or woman should feel pressured to look a certain way to feel attractive. You could argue that the cosmetics industry does put this pressure on girls, which I am certainly not denying, and I truly hate the idea of someone feeling ugly just because they're barefaced. No-one should EVER feel victimised, or that they're doing something wrong, simply for choosing to or choosing not to wear make-up!

This weekend, a colleague who works on No.7 told me a story which demonstrates the effect makeup can have on someone. She was serving a woman in her 70's who had recently had laser eye surgery, and who hadn't seen herself since she lost her sight aged 8. When she looked in the mirror she saw a face she didn't recognise, and didn't feel confident in her own skin whatsoever. She'd never been taught how to do her makeup, so my friend showed her a few ways to use some of the products which had been developed for ageing skin. After her makeover she left feeling so, so much better about herself, and it just goes to show that even the simplest of beauty tips can really empower someone.

With all this in mind, all I'd like to do is offer an honest opinion on products to help other people decide whether they'd like to try them too, whilst always maintaining that having a healthy and positive body-image is of paramount importance when navigating the beauty industry.