I Decided to Stop Wearing Makeup and Here’s How It Changed My Life: ‘I Needed a Break’

For Piper Kathryn Bond, the decision to go makeup-free has been transformative.

The 23-year-old Australian recalls feeling “quite insecure” due to societal pressure around appearance, leading her to constantly focus on her looks, but not for the right reasons.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Piper shared how she used to spend time every day on full makeup and hair but felt compelled to take a break from what she now sees as an unhealthy addiction.

“I needed a break,” she said. “I wouldn’t have realized the freedom without doing so. It made me realize my dependence on it.”

Today, Piper expresses that she can’t envision reverting to her previous ways.

“It feels liberating,” she expressed. “I didn’t always feel this way; I used to believe that appearance was one of the most important aspects of life. I thought I needed to look professional and couldn’t enter a corporate setting without full makeup.”

“It was always, I guess, for the opinions of other people. … As a young woman, there is a lot of societal pressure, and it’s almost a malaise, isn’t it? That we have this extreme beauty standard or vanity kind of foisted upon us.

“It’s so easy for us to look at beautiful women that everyone just thinks of as gorgeous and then to look at ourselves and think we’re less compared to them. But that’s just not how God sees it; God doesn’t see it as though we are less beautiful than the next person in any way. He is our creator. He created us to be ourselves. It’s about that heavenly mindset—to set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

‘People Are Definitely Beginning to Wake Up’

As Piper and her husband pursued a more holistic lifestyle in Adelaide, she began questioning the products she used on her skin.

While she acknowledges that personal grooming is individual, Piper felt called to reduce her reliance on makeup, listening to her inner voice guiding her.

Her makeup fast highlighted her dependency, but it was a gradual process. Instead of abruptly quitting, Piper gradually shifted her routine over time.

“I didn’t even notice,” she reflected, “until I looked back at the point where I was only wearing mascara daily and thought, ‘Wow, I would never have done this a year ago.’

“That’s the beauty of God. He gently convinces us of what we need to understand. Often, it isn’t abrupt; He prepares us slowly until we realize how far we’ve come.”

To reduce makeup use, Piper suggests switching to natural products rather than synthetic ones. She began with lighter coverage from natural brands, gradually eliminating steps from her routine over time.

“It’s about taking one step at a time,” she shared. “I started by removing a small part of my routine, like blush, and then progressed to foundation and concealer.”

Piper also had concerns about the potential health risks of using synthetic products on a daily basis, ranging from deodorants to skincare products.

“Women unknowingly expose themselves to hundreds of chemicals daily, impacting their health. This has led to increased health issues compared to decades ago,” Piper noted.

Holistic Life and Selfless Heart

Piper’s main motivation was a shift in her “heart posture” from self-centered to selfless. Following Biblical teachings promoting fasting for humility, the committed Christian feels that her journey has deepened her faith and altered her perspective on life.

“The change in heart posture came when I desired to serve others above myself, which developed through my relationship with God,” she explained.