Beauty Confession: I Shave My Face
I'm calling this my beauty "confession" because I've been weirdly embarrassed to share this post... I even debated writing it at all until I was reminded that my purpose behind creating this platform is to share - even when the content is a bit strange or awkward (?). I've always been a little self-conscious of my facial hair, especially on the sides of my face near my ears because I felt that it was super noticeable and dark. I've never gone the waxing route because I was absolutely convinced that my hair would grow back thicker and also that the wax would make my face break out almost immediately (after all, I don't even use wax on my eyebrows).
A few months back, I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Barefoot Blonde by Amber Fillerup, where she discussed a cut on her forehead in a recent fashion post due to shaving. I was confused, to say the least. Let me just start by saying that Amber Fillerup is one of my favorite lifestyle bloggers and is, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous women on the planet. I remember reading her post and quickly picturing her with a Gilette razor and a face full of shaving cream standing in the mirror next to her husband totally grossed out. I pondered it for a few moments and then figured that even though her skin looked amazing, maybe this tactic just wasn't for me. After all, I am incredibly lazy when it comes to my skin and it's not like I'm jumping to add yet another step to my beauty routine.
Fast forward to about a month later when I was flipping through Instagram stories and saw yet another huge fashion blogger in the UK live-shaving her face (a bold move, I might add). When I saw how it was actually done however, I realized that I had it all wrong when I imagined Amber Fillerup "shaving" her face. This blogger wasn't using a big, sharp razor or a handful of shaving cream; it was more like a gentle, tiny comb and a full-face exfoliation. I read more into it and found out that doing this once or twice a week can be fantastic for your skin. Your shaving off dead skin cells, stimulating collagen production and softening fine lines over time, giving your skin an amazing glow, and bonus - when you apply makeup, it lays so much smoother.
Women from Marilyn Monroe to Elizabeth Taylor, Amber Fillerup, and tons of others in between have been shaving their face for ages. And, the only reason we're (specifically me) clueless to this is because no one talks about it - at least until recently.
I was finally convinced on the benefits of face-shaving and decided to give it a go the morning before Sam and I shot our anniversary session (coming to the blog suuuper soon). I put a dime size amount of baby oil in my palm (you can also use: coconut oil, an organic essential oil, or do it dry) and rubbed it all over my face. Using my Tinkle "eyebrow razor", I slowly and gently shaved in a downward motion beginning at my forehead and trailing all the way to my neck. I was careful to avoid shaving too close to the obvious places such as my eyebrows and hairline, and avoid any blemishes. The first time that I shaved my face like this, I could not believe how much light, 'peach fuzz' came off into the sink. Once I had finished (I did a few more rounds up and down my face until it felt completely bare), I washed my face and applied moisturizer. Surprise, you guys: it was the softest and smoothest my skin has EVER felt. I was immediately addicted.
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Since I have been doing this for a few weeks now and have seen a difference in the quality of my skin and the appearance of my overall makeup application, I wanted to share my experience with those of you who may not have heard about it, are totally freaked out by the idea, or have been on the edge for a while and just needed that extra convincing to try it yourself.
Do you shave your face on a weekly basis? What have you noticed in the appearance/feel of your skin since you began? Let me know in the comments!
xo Anna Elizabeth