Why Don't You Wear Any Make Up?

I'm afraid my face will break out. I might have another allergic reaction—a spectacle similar to the one I woke up to the day of my graduation. I can't afford the expensive stuff. I don't know how to apply it to my face without looking like a birthday cake. I don't want to look dead when you catch me not wearing any. I'd rather do something more productive with my time, like sleep in, or make my hair look decent. 

If she hadn't been a 5-year-old, I would have given her at least one of these reasons when my friend's daughter asked me, with a face similar to the picture above, "Why don't you wear any make up?" 

While she waited eagerly for a response, I looked at my brother's girlfriend and noticed her delicate line of eyeliner. As dumbfounded as we both had been, she giggled at the girl's quizzical expression. So I turned to my right. But with the entire bottle of mascara weighed throughout my younger cousin's lashes, no hope remained. I reverted my attention back in front of me where the little girl stood staring up at me. I gave her my best 5-year-old comeback and said, "Well ,neither do you." To that, she said, "Tha'th cuth my daddy won't let me." Fair enough.

Later that night she had me thinking. Why don't I wear make up most days? I would like to look pretty all the time, not just some times. I think I've convinced myself that I don't need to rely on my face to feel beautiful. And the curiosity of a little girl shouldn't make me doubt my beliefs...but it did. 

Although it was hilarious to be taken aback by an honest child, at that moment I wished I had thrown on my barely-there make up routine: lightly dab my face with foundation, wing my eyes with eyeliner, stroke two rounds of mascara onto my upper lashes, define my sparse brows, and top it off with my translucent powder. (As much as I'm not a fan of focusing full attention on facial appearances, I wouldn't want to be a "butter-face" either!)

What was it about a 5-year-old's interrogation that struck me more than my mom's constant rant about not wearing make up? Don't get me wrong, I love how it looks on most women who wear it. I just wonder how the average ones learned how to put it on and know what works best without breaking their bank. 

I've watched countless tutorials on YouTube, and have learned a couple tricks from my mom (because we have similar bone structures and eye shapes),  But the one thing I have failed at—due to my lack of products—is highlighting and contouring my face. I wish there was someone who could easily teach me which drugstore products would work best on my complexion and how to go about applying it without looking too overdone. I have to admit, there are days when I get tired of seeing the peach-fuzz on my cheeks (haha).