Just a thought

Dear Teenage Girl with A Lot of Make-up,

Did anyone ever tell you that you are beautiful? I have a feeling that you probably don't get complimented very often, which would explain the layer of mascara that you have on. The eyeliner that threatens to overflow, and the lipsticks which makes you look like you cater especially to clowns. See, you have all the makings to be a stunningly beautiful woman someday, I can see it; you possess the kind of beauty that make-up is not required to enhance. Yet, there you are stunting your growth potential by covering your face with product so that your beauty, and your self perception (of it) becomes almost dependent on it.

That's not how it works. You don't grow beautiful legs by leaning on couches. No, you let them grow at their own pace. Your beauty is there, waiting for you to grow into it. It awaits for you to claim it as your own. There is no need to "speed" things up by applying layers to it before its time... that actually slow things down, if not suffocating it. Your beauty is like a flower waiting to blossom in the sun; don't cover it, don't hide it, don't pluck at it. It will bloom when the time is right; in the meantime, do what you must to nurture and nourish it, but don't over do it, otherwise the whole world can see it was forced.

No, be patient, and just know that you are already beautiful. Yes, there will be those whose beauty is like a wild fire, raw and overwhelming. That's just it, it is a flash of lightening, and then it is gone. Yet, the reality is most beauty is like a pork tenderloin slowly roasting in an open pit. No amount of seasoning can add to the quality of deliciousness that comes from heat applied over time. It is like a cake, slowly baked to rise; or a bottle of fine wine aged over time. Done right, it leaves an everlasting pleasant after taste.

Similarly, own the fact that you don't need tons of make-up to feel better about who you are, or to hide your "perceived" iniquities. Face the world as you, without enhancement, and you will grow to be more beautiful than you dare to dream. Remember, beauty unaware, a genuine smile, kind eyes, and dimples do more wonders than eyeliners and mascara combined.