We women have it rough. Between all the plucking, primping, straightening and exfoliating, we’re often so preoccupied with getting our look just right for the Instagram photos that will be inevitably uploaded, we forget the first rule our mothers ever taught us: It’s the inner beauty that counts.
But there are a few women out there who’ve taken those words to heart, and don’t feel the need to wear makeup — in the workplace, out to dinner or (heaven forbid) at the gym.
These women really get it right. Because they’ve realized that it’s not their curled lashes or Cara Delevigne-esque eyebrows that make them pretty. There’s so much more to them and what they want to portray to the outside world than their Kardashian-approved contouring abilities.
Oftentimes, the women who show so much right upfront are the ones with nothing good going on underneath. Instead, the women who don’t wear makeup are perfect examples as to why it’s not your face that makes you beautiful.
When we strip away the cat-eye eyeliner and caked-on foundation, what is there that makes a woman’s inner beauty show through?
It’s what she does in the everyday moments and how she carries herself in difficult situations that are the real measures of a woman’s ability to shine, inside and out.
The five things listed below certainly make a woman beautiful, and they can’t be purchased at your local Sephora.
Her Passions
Passionate people are the happiest people, because they’ve figured out what drives them in life, and they care enough to pursue those goals.
When a woman is too preoccupied with saving the rainforest or fighting for minimum wage reform or being a boss in the corporate world, she doesn’t have time to fret about what goes onto her face.
But it isn’t the day-to-day work that makes her blossom — having a sense of purpose and being strong enough to pursue it makes this woman a special type of attention-grabbing beautiful, because you can’t help but be gravitated to her presence whenever she walks into a room.
Her Compassion
Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, and someone who cares more about others than they do themselves is truly a pretty person.
It’s not easy to put others over yourself, to be able to empathize with individuals you’ve never personally encountered.
But the sign of a truly beautiful person is that you can look past other people’s façades, and relate to them on a deeper level. With the ability to empathize, a woman doesn’t have to be made up to make a real and meaningful connection.
It almost doesn’t even matter what she looks like — she exudes an attitude that lets others know she understands them.
Her Mind
George Clooney’s recent engagement to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin has proven to the guys what my fellow females have known for a long time — smart is sexy.
When a woman can hold her own in a conversation or debate, or can come up with creative solutions to her company’s business problems, she doesn’t need to rely on the superficial to make her feel beautiful or accomplished.
Her words create a better impression than the most flawless look could ever achieve. This woman is beautiful because she’s rendered you in a state of awe with exactly the right asset.
Her Fun-Loving Spirit
If a woman won’t go skinny dipping because she’s afraid of ruining her carefully-crafted bedroom eye look, then she’s simply another example of someone with mixed up priorities.
But the woman who doesn’t wear makeup is fearless and unafraid to embrace much of what comes her way.
Jumping at every opportunity and challenge is only made difficult if you constantly have to be made up. A beautiful woman is freed from these constrictions, and free to let her fun side take over at every whim.
When smiling ear-to-ear at the prospect of yet another spontaneous adventure, women are beautiful, even if they’re barefaced.
Her Resilience
In the face of tragedy or tough situations, some women rise above, or even just simply make it through. These experiences — while harrowing — impact the people we eventually become.
Besting these situations makes women beautiful because the knowledge that we can overcome means we’ll be stronger, more confident and self-assured.
Sad eyes or worry lines aren’t issues that need to be fixed with cheery eye shadow colors or Botox injections.
Rather, they are reminders of what women have been through and conquered. That’s a type of beautiful that can’t be faked with makeup.
Beauty isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being yourself. And you don’t need any makeup to let your personality come across.
