Isn’t it perplexing how many steps modern girls are convinced they have to take to look like they have “normal” skin. They are taught these things from TV, magazines, books, friends. Everywhere you look, you hear the mantra: concealer, foundation, bronzer, blush, powder… And this is impressed on girls since their tweeny years. Or else you’ll end up on one of those “reality shows” where everyone is laughing at you.

The makeup industry is preying on the young. Of course if you cover up since you were practically a kid, by the time you’re thirty you’ll have no choice. Your skin will have suffered, and will now need patching up. And you will be a makeup company’s customer for life. Needing more and more products to cover up. That’s the perfect business model.

Besides, you’ll be so used to the made-up you in front of the mirror, that without the makeup you’ll feel naked. We are creatures of habit. We want to see the same thing. Don’t believe me? Just look around you and see all the women trapped in hair/makeup styles of their bygone younger days… Trying desperately to hold on to that illusive self-image of what they never actually were...

Unfortunately young girls don’t think about longevity. When you are a teen, you primary concern is now. The future is too far away. Who cares. It is now that they need to fit in. It is now that they need to be cool. It is now that they need a boyfriend, who won’t like them without that shade of lipstick (which is totally ridiculous, cause most boys are color blind when it comes to lipsticks) and rouge on the cheeks.

Adding fuel to the fire teen (and women’s) magazines are much more likely to focus on the new trends in shades, lipsticks and bronzers, then on basic skin care tips. Pages and pages of magazines with a “get that look” slogan, and nothing about what’s going to happen to you if you stick to that “look”. All those “looks” are designed to sell product. Tons of product. And you better keep up with all the new looks. Cause new looks mean new products. And nobody asks what happens to a skin that hasn’t seen the light of day since the age of fourteen when the girl reaches her forties? Fifties? Where do all those dyes, preservatives and other chemicals go?

Girls are bombarded with images of superstars with made-up faces. And then they are shocked by those “no makeup” photos in the tabloids. But what’s so shocking there? If these girls/ladies were tons of “professional” makeup day in and day out most of their lives, it’s amazing that they have any skin left under it at all.

Just look at the suggested “styles” on the InStyle magazine...They always have the latest shots of the current celebrities looking ready for the cameras... I personally find some of them creepy. Especially seeing girls in their twenties with no skin showing at all. They look like masks. They don’t look perfect. They look plastic.

Dear young (and not so young) beautiful girl. Look in the mirror. Smile. You are beautiful. You are human. If your skin is not the uniform alabaster shade of perfection, please realize that nobody’s is. But it’s the only skin you’ve got. If you abuse it now, it will fail you down the line. If you want to be radiantly glowing – wash your face with cool water, and you won’t need a blush. Invest in skin-care. Not skin-cover. Go for products as pure as you can find. Do not believe that all are equal. They are not. That fancy department store brand has the chemicals no person should be near, let alone put on a face. Look for organic beauty products whenever you can. If you need to cover up something, do it gently and reasonably. Subtlety is always more intriguing then a head on attack. And with proper care and good natural products, you won’t need much covering.

Work with what’s good for you. What works on you. And not what the flavor of the moment is pushing.

If you are radiant from within, you’ll never go out of style.

PS: if you wanna know more about the ugly side of the beauty business, check out the books listed below. Especially the "Not Just A Pretty Face" one.  But I'm warning you -- it's scary.