Learning to Love My Natural Face (Using Less Filters & Embracing Natural Beauty)
A Reflection On Using Fewer Filters, Embracing Natural Beauty, & Finding Confidence In The Face God Gave Me
Back in January, I was taking a selfie and couldn’t get the right picture. I tried turning toward the sun, adjusting the angle, doing all the little things we do when we’re trying to capture the perfect photo. Still nothing felt right.
So I did what most of us do.
I opened Instagram and added a filter.
Immediately I felt relieved. I looked at the picture and thought, Finally, that’s the one.
But the longer I stared at it, the more something felt off.
That’s not really me.
I ran to the bathroom mirror and looked at my reflection, comparing it to the selfie on my phone. The filter had smoothed my skin, softened my features, and even added a subtle plumpness to my lips that looked like I had on lipstick.
And in that moment, I had to ask myself a real question:
Do you actually like your natural face?
Because the truth was, I was using filters almost every time I posted on Instagram stories.
Now don’t get me wrong. Sometimes we genuinely look a little crusty and need some moisturizer or lip balm. But that wasn’t the situation this time. I looked perfectly fine in real life, yet I still felt the need to change my face on camera.
So I went through my archived Instagram stories.
And that’s when I realized something that surprised me.
I hadn’t posted a story without a filter in almost six months. Even when I would leave the gym and post my little “morning motivation” stories, I’d add a filter.
Now let me be clear, I’m not against filters. They’ve been around forever. I remember when Snapchat first came out over twelve years ago and everyone was obsessed with the dog ears and flower crowns.
But filters have evolved a lot since then.
Now there are filters that can completely alter your face. Some of them add full glam makeup, smooth your skin, change your lip shape, and brighten everything to the point where you look like a totally different person.
And that’s where it gets tricky.
Because when you start using those tools too often, it can slowly change how you see yourself.
I know you’ve seen it before, when someone edits a photo so much that when you see them in real life, they look nothing like their pictures.
The more you rely on those tools, the harder it becomes to recognize and appreciate your natural face.
And I didn’t like that it had become so difficult for me to take a simple selfie without one.
So I stood in the mirror a little longer than usual and asked myself what exactly I didn’t like about my face.
And the more I sat with it, the more I realized something surprising.
I actually do like my face.
I like the way God uniquely created it.
Now I’m also honest with myself. There are things about my skin that I’m still working on. I’ve dealt with acne for years, random breakouts, dark spots, and uneven texture. My skin has definitely been on a rollercoaster over the years, especially when I used to wear bangs.
It’s better now, but I’m still on a journey with it. That’s actually one of the reasons I started seeing a dermatologist. Part of loving yourself is also caring for the things you want to improve.
I’ve learned that if there’s something about yourself you truly don’t like, you have two options: learn to love it or work on changing it. Either way, the goal should always be coming from a place of self respect, not self rejection.
But when I thought about it, the reason I started using filters in the first place was because they smoothed the texture of my skin on camera.
What started as a small tweak slowly turned into something I used all the time, even when my makeup was already done. Just a little razzle dazzle.
But honestly, it wasn’t necessary.
This season of my life is about learning to love every part of myself, including my natural face.
Now let me say this clearly: I love makeup. There’s a time for full glam and there’s a time for a bare face.
But one thing I’m learning in this season is that I don’t need to be fully glammed every single day just to feel confident.
I’ve been learning a softer, everyday makeup routine that still lets my natural skin shine through.
For example, I have a little mole above my eyebrow that I used to cover up with makeup. Now I actually love that my everyday makeup routine lets it show.
My routine is super simple: primer, either a skin tint or concealer, a little blush, some contour powder or a contour stick, and a lip pencil with a gloss or natural lipstick. That’s it.
Sometimes I get lash extensions, but even those are short and fluffy. Nothing dramatic, just enough to enhance my eyes without hiding them.
I’m learning that natural beauty is still beautiful. You don’t have to be in full glam just to run to the grocery store.
Yes, there are days when I’m fully done up, but that’s not a requirement for my everyday life.
Because at the end of the day, your natural face isn’t going anywhere. No matter how much makeup you wear or how many filters you use, when it all comes off at night, you’re left with just you. And that version of you deserves to be loved too.
So this week, I want to challenge you to try something with me. Use fewer filters.
Step outside, turn your face toward the sun, and let the light hit you just right for that perfect selfie.
Experiment with makeup that enhances your natural features instead of hiding them.
And most importantly, spend some time getting comfortable with the face you see in the mirror.
Because the goal isn’t perfection. It’s recognition.
Recognizing that the face looking back at you, the one God carefully created, is already worthy of being seen.
Learn to love you.
Want to stay connected? I send a weekly Saturday newsletter with personal reflections and new posts. You can subscribe here below.
