I am reading in various places that Alicia Keys started the #nomakeup movement. While the #nomakeup started well before her, it is true that she brought it under the spotlight. She did it with the cover of her album, in which she wears #nomakeup, but what does that mean? Are there pros and cons about the #nomakeup movement and what is your take?

In this article we will show you our stand on the #nomakeup, and we would love to hear your say. We will accompany it with a set of photos we shoot the day before yesterday. #nomakeup and [#unretouchedbeauty](https://fabyandcarlo.com/unretouchedbeauty/): you can’t go more natural that that!

Raw, real photographs and the #nomakeup movement

I have to admit, I am in personal adoration for the #nomakeup movement. I love that natural look every woman has, and I believe that everyone can pull it out; however, I am a man, and I do not live under the pressure women feel to be “perfect”, and this gives me a different perspective. I believe in the beauty every woman has, naturally. This means that if Faby has some bags under her eyes, I don’t see it as a “defect”; she is the beautiful woman she naturally is. While I speak about her, but this is valid for everyone of you.

I believe that the #nomakeup movement should make one simple point: women should be free to wear makeup or not without being judged for their choices. Yes, you hear me; if you like to wear foundation, mascara, fake lashes, contouring, smokey eyes and lipstick, you should be free to do it without being judged; however, at the same time, if you decide to get out of the door without a single drop of product on your skin, that should be fine as well. I believe in freedom, which includes what you wear (or not wear) on your face.

Do you take care of your skin?

In my experience, a good skin starts from taking care of it. Drinking plenty of water and keeping the skin hydrated is the best step to be able to pull the #nomakeup out. When on Monday I wrote on Facebook that we would have loved to shoot a #nomakeup shoot, we got some immediate feedback, many of which were positive. More than that, many women said “I would do it!”. To be completely honest we did not expect it, but it was such success that we have already few names booked in for few tests in the coming weeks and months for a #nomakeup shoot!

Some private feedback were about skin issues; some of the women who got in touch told me that they had some marks on their skin, which made them wonder if they were the right match. My answer was, in all cases “yes”; so I told them that with a lot of water and some gentle nudge, their skin would have looked amazing, and I stand by my words.

What about your confidence?

Funnily enough, someone wrote online: “Well, if I was actually Alicia Keys…”, but I believe that comparing yourself to someone else may not be a good thing. I often tell this to photographers: comparing yourself to other is never a good thing! In this particular case, what do you know about Alicia Keys’s skin? The photographer who shoot her album cover had to spend quite a lot of time to convince her to be photographed as she was. It seems she had confidence issue, but how can we blame her; she is constantly under the spotlight, and being seen without makeup is almost a shame.

What would a #nomakeup do for your confidence? Would the comparison with other women put a dent in it? Or would you gain confidence by the understanding that, even without makeup, you look beautiful? These are not questions I ask generally; I ask these question to you, in the hope you will ask these question and give honest answers. It would be awesome to hear your feedback, but as long as you can give those honest answer to yourself, that’s important.

So, what is my take on this? As a man, I love when I see Faby with or without makeup, because I value her freedom to chose whichever she wants to be. As a boudoir photographer I believe that seeing yourself in a #nomakeup is a boost to confidence: no, your skin is not as perfect as the one of the model in the magazine. Yes, you look stunning even with your uniqueness.

Is the #nomakeup for you?

I have heard and read quite a lot of different takes on the #nomakeup movement. I have read some quite negative reviews of it, and my opinion is that a lot of the negative light on the #nomakeup derives from the fact that many women -not all- don’t feel empowered to do it. Sometimes it is about confidence, while other times it is the environment they work in. This is completely understandable, so my main question is: if you could, would you #nomakeup?

Changing the world one step at the time means understanding what you really want for yourself, and make it happens. If #nomakeup is for you, you can start using less products. Pushing the boundaries at work does not necessarily mean showing up without any makeup one day. It may mean diminishing it, being ready to make a stand if someone point you out; however, if the #nomakeup movement is not for you, maybe it is a good thing to support it nonetheless. Helping other women having the freedom to choose is a great thing. Maybe one day someone may even support you to gain more of the freedom you want.