Friday 4 February 2011

Dare to Bare Challenge !

Today's post is a little bit different. I have been thinking long and hard lately about Beauty, makeup and the way society views people.
Programmes like The ugly side of beauty are partly responsible for triggering off memories of myself when i was younger and also the question:
Are we more attractive, confident etc when we are wearing a face full of makeup ?

Do we as beauty bloggers contribute to young girls feeling insecure about there looks if they dont have the in product or wearing this months must have items ?

I don't wear makeup constantly but i do feel more confident when i am wearing makeup. However i don't see this makes me an insecure person, in fact i think I'm quite confident.
I think its just like a man putting on a business suit which makes him feel smart. I imagine its a similar feeling of added confidence.

When i was younger i would never leave the house without makeup on but as i have got older i am a lot more comfortable with myself and i actually love the feel of freshly washed skin. I enjoy taking my makeup off at the end of the day. My friends have all seen me without makeup although it's rare i dont have a little something on my face.

Another thing that really annoys me is when people say to me you don't need to wear all that makeup. I know i don't need to wear it. Nobody needs to wear it but i like it, i enjoy trying new looks, i think i look nicer with makeup on and its my face, my choice.
Makeup is an expression of who we are. I don't turn around and say to them well you do need some makeup on? Although sometimes i would like to ha.

Anyway my challenge is for my lovely fellow bloggers to BARE ALL. I mean just take a little photo without any make up on. ( Shock Horror )
For some of you it will be easy but for most of us i think it's a little bit scary so i will be interested to see who? if anybody will participate.

The rules are as follows:

1. Take a photo of yourself with a Bare face and post it on your blog.
2. Write a few sentences about how you feel doing this challenge.
3. comment here and leave a link to your post as i am really interested in reading your thoughts.

So here we go:


This is me. I feel slightly apprehensive about this post i don't dislike myself without makeup but i just prefer how i look with makeup.
Will people think this challenge is a good idea or will they be horrified at the thought of people seeing them in this way?

51 comments:

  1. You look beautiful! I'm not sure if I could do it... I could maybe do it for my blog, but I wouldn't go out the house without make-up on x

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  2. Nicoletta..you look beautiful without makeup..don't feel apprehensive.

    I rarely wear make up but when I do it gives me more confidence ( I lack it tremendously ) I feel great when I wear it and love how I feel.

    would love to be a girly girl and look fab all the time but it just doesn't happen...jeans and t shirt normally covered in bicarb

    so in general makeup acts as a mask for me...it whips me away from being a drab 30 something mum of 2 to feeling like a foxy lady with a super boosted confidence

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  3. I could never do this. I couldn't even put a picture on my blog with tonnes and tonnes of makeup on. Makeup makes me feel a teeny-tiny bit better about myself but i still think i look vile. Well done you xx

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  4. Oh and I forgot to say, you look amazing :)

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  5. you look gorgeous and radiant without make-up! Congrats on getting the courage to do it! I'm not sure if i could :p xx

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  6. Louise at 18 i would never have had the confidence to even blog, let alone put a photo like this on. You are a beautiful and confident young lady and if you do this challenge then please add a link here in the comments xx

    Ladymucks thankyou lovely, i've always seen you as a natural type of woman. I know exactly what you mean though about the sudden confidence. When i worked for clinique i sometimes had ladies come in for a makeover who had never worn any in there lives. The smiles on there faces and the way they waltz out of the shop is something i will never forget. xx

    xdiamondsand pearlsx There is no way in this world that you will look vile, im quite shocked that you would think that hun. xx

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  7. great post. you look lovely without makeup. a real natural beauty =) xx

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  8. See I'm obsessed with make up and products but it isnt the be all and end all to me. I'm not wearing makeup today because I got up late and it's fine...people keep asking me if I'm feeling ok or that I look tired but I don't care.

    And if I was ever down to my last £5 and it was a choice between eating/paying my bills or mascara, I'd always make the more sensible decision!

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  9. You look stunning with no makeup on! 90% of the time, I never wear makeup. I love putting makeup on because it is fun and allows me to be creative. To tell you the truth, I feel more insecure with makeup, because I'm constantly wondering if it looks ok!

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  10. Wow its so interesting to see different peoples opinions on this thanks for the replies xx

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  11. You look just as gorgeous without make-up on!
    Bit of a coincidence - I have just this minute got back from my local shop and I went without wearing any make-up. It doesn't really phase me. But I would hate to go out to food/shopping/pub etc without it, as I know I'm not looking my best. Make-up makes me a better version of myself. x

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  12. Makeup does make me look better, especially that my skin is not very pretty, but I'm realistic and accept my face without makeup too. I've started wearing makeup (almost) every time I go out in 2010, but I would pe perfectly fine going out without anything on as well. When I go to my local shops I never wear makeup and if I could live without it for 25 years, then I can still do it from now on. Yes, I feel just a bit weird when I'm bare faced but, like you, putting makeup on is all about fun.
    And no, I'm no uber beauty, I just accept myself the way I am.
    I really really don't want to be mean, but I am shocked at the fact that so many girls out there feel so awful when they don't wear makeup and think everybody will judge. Nobody is perfect and we always judge actresses when we see them with no makeup on in photos, but let's be realistic: makeup can change you in a super drastic way. I, for example, would have hated it if, let's say, my husband didn't recognize me after taking my makeup off. Some girls just lack confidence so bad that they'd be willing to wear extensions, false eyelashes, hair inserts, coloured lenses and heavy makeup every single day and I just find this shocking. We shouldn't have to do that and turn into somebody else when we walk out of the door.
    But hey, just an opinion!
    And yeah, I will upload a picture of me without any makeup on on my blog. Soon! :D

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  13. You are very naturally pretty, lovely eyes and a lovely smile. I have massive respect to you for doing this post. For me makeup is a hobby-I tend to buy things in my favourite colours rather than what makes me look better lol. Sometimes putting on makeup makes you feel like someone else, or a more confident version of yourself, but ultimately, noone else looks like you, we are all unique and thats what makes us beautiful-not how much makeup we're wearing. I don't put pictures on my blog as I don't think my beautiful readers would want to see pictures of me lol but as I've got older I am starting to feel less uneasy about myself. Thankyou for a fab post :)
    Sarah
    sparkle-and-grey.blogspot.com

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  14. I love this- deffo going to try it. I think at times I use make up as a mask- esp on a night out. The thought of not going out without dark smokey eyes makes me feel sick. Sounds daft, but without it I don't feel confident. xxx

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  15. I remember a couple of years ago I wouldn't be seen dead without make-up. Now, mainly because I've become a bad morning person (lazy!) I don't tend to have enough time to apply much make-up every morning, so I tend to stick to the bare minimum of a little eyeshadow primer, a nude/slightly shimmery nude eyeshadow, eyebrow colour and mascara.
    I am much more confident in my own skin now, partly because I have found new ways of making subtle make-up go a long way and partly because my boyfriend persuaded me (after a long while!) that I do look nice without make-up. I do feel a bit bare without anything but I don't feel the need to wear a total mask.
    I do at the weekend tend to over-indulge in make-up though! :) I think that it's perfectly acceptable to wear what's most comfortable for the individual. While I would choose to embrace natural beauty I can understand where the security in make-up lies so would never criticise another person for wearing 'too much'.
    Will probably do this challenge although I don't look much different naturally from other photos on my blog! xx

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  16. Also you look lovely naturally! Great idea xx

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  17. I did it hun, its the scariest thing I have done actually http://www.secretsbehindtheclosetdoor.com/2011/02/nicolettas-dare-to-bare-challenge.html

    You look gorgeous without make up!

    xxx

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  18. I find it so interesting to hear all your views. Thank you for being so open with your answers. It's amazing how everybody has such mixed opinions on this issue. xx

    Charli i'm heading over right now, well done xx

    Emma Greenwood, thanks for following and i think its great that your boyfriend tells you how nice you look without makeup. I think a lot of our hang ups originate from the people around us and comments that were made possibly years ago but unfortunately stick with us. xx

    Sparkle & Grey your comments make a lot of sense hun. I agree that everybody has something beautiful about them xx

    Birmingham lady thanks for that super long comment. I had to laugh because when i met my husband i had on false nails, hair extensions, fake tan, full makeup the works. I was actually worried that when he saw me natural he would be shocked ha xx

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  19. wow u are soo brave, your stil gorgeous xxx

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  20. This is such an inspiring post. You're so brave!
    Your skin is beautiful xx

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  21. You look lovely, even withoug make-up! Not sure I can do this! I've no idea why people say we don't need to wear make-up?? Maybe they need to look at themselves and what they shouldn't be doing! x

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  22. You look amazing without makeup! Are you sure you're a mum?! ;) I'm not brave enough to do it, but I applaud you (and anyone else) who's brave enough. It's nice to hear everyone being so kind & encouraging... it's just a shame that there are so many negative people out there who are quick to judge when someone has bad skin.

    Catherine x

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  23. hey love this post, you are absolutely stunning and i totally agree with you, im okay without make up but i love wearing it and changing my look to suit my mood. as i told you earlier, i put a pic of me makeupless on my last post about skincare! xxx

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  24. Thanks for this Nicoletta, my first thoughts were how regular and even your features are, how young you look and how happy and relaxed you look. Makeup is weird, for me I wear in inorder to stop small children and dogs running away from me in fear, my ambition is to go out in an SPF only (wearing clothes too I hasten to add!). I have a naked face on one of my early FOTDs, greying potato comes to mind! Thanks for sharing. Jan x

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  25. darling you look lovely without makeup as well!!!
    Honestly you are super brave to do so..I don't think I have the courage :(
    because my dark circles are so bad that without makeup i really look as if I'm sick. I really need makeup to make my face look lively!!

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  26. i agree that it feels good to not wear anything ... but I do feel kinda blah when I don't .. .and before all i would wear is mascara! ... but age brings out dark circles and all that evil stuff :-( ... u definitely have natural beauty ... bare face challenge here i come!

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  27. Hey lovely, I have done it http://toptotoe28.blogspot.com/2011/02/dare-to-bare-challenge.html

    Great post, certainly made me think! xx

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  28. You actually look really good without your makeup on - i'm jealous!

    I know it sounds bad but i don't think i've left the house without makeup for about 7 years, eeek! If i'm just popping out for milk then i don't put a face on or anything, but i still slick on mascara and blusher.

    On the other hand though, i would never EVER go to work or to see friends without makeup, i just hate the way i look without it. I'm incredibly pale and have really bad dark circles (i mean reeeaallly bad, and i have a visible vein under one eye which is lovely and blue and makes me look like i've been punched!) I'm so serious about it that i would actually turn up late to work rather than go in without my usual face on. I don't wear a massive amount of makeup but i feel that what i do wear, i need it to make me feel comfortable.

    I hope i don't sound horribly vain but it's just a confidence thing! It took me a few months to let my boyfriend see me without makeup, but now he just has to deal with it like i do, hehe!!

    Excellent post hun - i'm sure loads of people can relate in many different ways.

    Jo xoxo

    My little blog...

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  29. haha, sorry about that (I said I wouldn't have worn a lot of makeup so hubby could still recognize me after our first date, haha, and you said you did that :P)!
    i just have to comment about this because I have a lot of guy friends and they always tell me how weird it is that the girls they meet look soooo different without their makeup on and it's like they;re on a date with someone else! :P

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  30. U are so beautiful hun,u dont need makeup@all. Im really confident about not wearing makeup have done a few posts without makeup altho Makeup just makes me happy hehe.

    Nice challenge will try&do it again&link back.thanx for shring

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  31. Such a great idea! I love it. On my blog, or at least mentioned on my blogs twitter, for at least one day every week I wear no make up, and constantly encourage others to do the same. Awesome post.

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  32. LOL I agree with everything you said. I like dolling up when I go out and I'm usually the only one in my group of friends who does. They don't make comments like that but I have received similar sounding ones from others. There was even once that I was asked to 'dress down' and all or else guys won't go after me as they feel intimidated. I gave them a =_= look. If they're intimidated by just that (not like I dressed like a millionaire), I sure don't think I'll like them!

    Few years back, I would even put on makeup to go grocery shopping! But now I'm comfortable going out with my glasses and just lip balm. And the weirdest part? I feel prettier now xP

    Not joining this since I show my bare face alot lol

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  33. i dont dare to bare ,, but u look great without any makeup on ,, i look dead with my dark under eyes =(

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  34. Oh how fantastic babes, this is a real positive post at it's best.

    I think I'd like to participate ... we shouldn't be scared to bare all.
    You look beautiful trust me when I say that :) xoxo

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  35. Thankyou so much to all of you, i have had such positive feedback about this post.
    Cant wait to see your posts and i have really enjoyed reading each and every one of your comments. xx

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  36. This is such a great post and the comments have been really interesting to read.

    I've joined in on my blog too - www.glossgalore.com

    Beth x

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  37. I may take you up on this challenge- although, I could never ever look as fabulous as you do nekkid faced even w a full face of makeup!

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  38. I did it! Here's the link if you wanna look :)
    Eye to the Keyhole: Dare to Bare Challange! http://bit.ly/gqOiGt

    Great idea! Xxx

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  39. Thanks ladies i will be heading over to your blogs to check these out xx

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  40. this is definitely an awesome post! great idea... i will try and do this.. i have to honestly get the courage to do so....
    Maricela
    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ.. VividFusion ....Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
    VividFusion on Youtube
    VividFusion on Facebook
    VividFusion on Twitter

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  41. Hi babe, just posted my dare to bare face.so scary lol xxx

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  42. hey, i posted my Dare to bare challenge too: http://bhamlady.blogspot.com/2011/02/dare-to-bare-challenge.html

    don't know if you accept links in comments, but feel free to erase this if you don't :P

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  43. I would scare small children with my face. James thinks your gorgeous without all of your makeup and so do I! x

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  44. I love this post and this challenge, Nicoletta :) Honestly, you still look absolutely gorgeous without any makeup on! I did it too if you'd like to take a peek...

    http://willworkformakeup.blogspot.com/2011/02/dare-to-bare.html

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  45. You look GREAT without makeup on!!!!! :) You have the best looking eyebrows!

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  46. Thankyou girls, i've read your lovely posts xx

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  47. FAB idea!!! You look great with no make up, lucky sod! I actually did it! http://stundon.blogspot.com/2011/02/dare-to-bare.html
    xx

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  48. Hey Nicoletta, I just started following your blog today and I've been thinking about the same thing about girls becoming dependent on makeup. It takes a lot of gut to walk out of the house with a bare face! You look gorgeous without makeup! I did a post last week about my thoughts on makeup and I sort of talk about makeup as a confidence booster. http://littlelucyandpirates.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-makeup-philosophy.html

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  49. I did the challenge (late!) and posted it on my blog http://essjay23x.blogspot.com/2011/03/challenge-dare-to-bare.html
    It was a lot harder then I thought would be. I don't always wear make up but to get a picture, actually look at it and put it on the internet was a whole different kettle of fish. Such a fab idea and I'm glad that I did it. Btw, you look great without make up.

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Thankyou for all your comments, i appreciate each and everyone xx