“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” -Coco Chanel

Easy for you to say, Coco. You don’t get up at 6:30 a.m.

As my alarm rang early Tuesday morning, I was tempted beyond belief to stay in bed. Just five more minutes would be okay, right? Wrong. My makeup bag was calling, and I had an obligation to answer.

Encouraged by the coincidental boost of confidence I gained from last week’s outfit, I again slipped into a casual, yet tasteful, ensemble of patterned shorts and a black shirt. But my fashion decisions were not this day’s focus. My choice of clothing was merely a precursor to the main event: my makeup.

While I was doing my makeup, I was transfixed by my reflection in the mirror, noticing features I did not typically worry about. Does every woman have circles this dark under her eyes? Does this color clash with my skin tone? All of these imperfections, however, paled in comparison to one obvious flaw: the bright sunburn lining my face, impossible to hide with concealer or foundation. Usually, these slight failings did not bother me. Yet as I was finishing my makeup I almost felt it was my duty to correct all of my visible shortcomings, that by deciding to augment my appearance I had agreed only to present my best self to society. Any blemishes would not be acceptable.

After I left my dorm and headed to class, one fact became distinctly clear to me: I did not enjoy wearing makeup. Wearing makeup had the adverse effect of my change of fashion. While in a different outfit I felt free to express a more colorful and vibrant facet of my personality, in makeup I felt as if I were hiding something, as if I did not want people to see what I really looked like. I felt more self-conscious, especially because people noticed and pointed out the change in my appearance. Did this mean I did my makeup wrong, or badly? Or was it a suggestion that I should wear it more often?

Throughout this day, I recognized that makeup is an integral component that factors into someone’s perception of another. As the New York Times article “Up the Career Ladder, Lipstick in Hand” states, makeup can “increase people’s perceptions of a woman’s likeability, her competence and (provided she does not overdo it) her trustworthiness.”

As Bobbi Brown, a cosmetics line founder, notes in the article, “[With makeup] We are able to transform ourselves, not only how we are perceived, but how we feel.”

Makeup did change how I felt. As I internalized the different reactions to my changed appearance, I could understand why over 60% of women in the United States describe their natural appearance as “fairly average and nothing special,” according to SkinStore.com. I recognized the emphasis placed on appearance, and could resonate with the feelings of inadequacy that plague women who go out without a full face of makeup.

I went back to my dorm and washed all my makeup off. If a girl is to be truly classy and fabulous, she must do it on her own terms.