October 8th, 2025

To wear or not to wear? That is the question.

“My friends wear makeup every day, does that mean I should too?” “Where do I even start?”

“How do I know if wearing makeup is right for me?” etc.

SO many questions! From quizzes at school, to what sports you’ll play, and what hobbies you’ll pursue, your life is full of questions right now. Lucky for you, I can help. Ahead, you will find a helpful list of the pros and cons when deciding: when should I start wearing makeup and how?

Keep reading to find some suggestions, pros, cons, and alternatives to makeup (if you decide it’s not right for you yet).

But first: you are GORGEOUS and BEAUTIFUL whether you choose to wear makeup or not. ❤

None of my suggestions in this article are sponsored. If I recommend a product, it’s because I have personally used it.

It’s a fun way to express yourself!

When I started middle school in 2018, I was so excited to finally have the chance to develop my personal style! There are so many choices with how you want to dress, look, and act.

Wearing makeup is an awesome way to be creative with your look.

Makeup can help with confidence!

Makeup is such a wonderful tool that can help with self-confidence. Having a positive image of yourself helps with doing better in school, having better relationships, and feeling generally capable.

Lots of people wear makeup because it enhances their natural features and helps them feel confident!

This is actually why I choose to wear makeup!

The routine is relaxing.

I used to love sitting in front of my mirror every morning in middle school to do my skincare and makeup.

I’d have some tea or coffee, put on my favorite playlist, and do my makeup. Actually, as a college student 5 years later, I still have this routine and it’s one of my favorite parts of the morning!

Give yourself plenty of time to get ready. You could also listen to podcasts, watch YouTube, or call your friend or family member.

Makeup can shield your skin from the sun.

Let’s be honest, sunburn is NOT fun. And having one on your face SUCKS.

One of the reasons I started wearing makeup in middle school was because I was spending hours a day outside. My friends who did outdoor sports like soccer and track wore SPF makeup to protect them from the sun.

When you first start, I recommend having a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation that contains SPF. (see links below)

But You should also know…

Just because everyone else is, that doesn’t mean you have to.

This one might sound obvious, and I don’t mean to sound like your mom when I say it.

The companies that sell you makeup want to make you feel self conscious about not wearing it. Actually, they make billions doing so.

Makeup comes from impossible beauty standards, which are social constructs and serve no real needs.

Makeup can be SO expensive!

Of course, it depends on a lot of things like where you buy from and how much.

But there are affordable options out there. (see links below)

It could irritate your skin or acne.

Take it from someone who had problems with acne all through middle school: NOT ALL MAKEUP IS ACNE FRIENDLY!!

It took years of experimentation before I figured out what worked best for my skin, and it might for you too.

I found that even products marketed as acne friendly caused breakouts for me.

If you do have breakouts, it could irritate your pimples to put products over them. A better option is to use a patch before applying makeup to a pimple like my favorite ones here.

Unknown allergies (spooky)

While most makeup is allergen free, you never know when something in your products could be causing a reaction.

In 6^th grade, I used acne lotion every day to help with my pimple pain. It was very dry and gave me a terrible, painful rash. Not to mention the bottle was $60! And I couldn’t even use it anymore. 😦

When in doubt, switch it out!

No matter what you pick remember…

It’s never that serious.

People think so much about their own things (especially in middle school), they won’t notice whether you wear makeup or not.

The biggest takeaway from all of this is literally:

Wear makeup if you want, don’t if you don’t want.

I hope this was helpful in deciding if you do!

Makeup Suggestions

(aka my routine)

Alternative to Makeup: Skincare!

If you still want the routine, skin benefits, sun protection, and a bit of a more gradual start to your makeup journey look no further than the “skincare as makeup trend!”

Don’t overcomplicate it, skincare is super easy! I recommend finding a good sunscreen and lotion. A few of my favorite products are listed below:

Favorite Brand Overall

CeraVe is the best skincare brand I’ve tried because it’s cheap, light on skin, and incredibly effective

Best Quality Brand

Rodan+Fields (very expensive but great brand I’ve been using for 5+ years)

written by Bailey Mask

meowdogwoofcat90@gmail.com