I don’t wear a lot of makeup. Lately, I’ve been playing around with tinted moisturizer, but only when we’re doing something for the blog, or when it’s a special occasion. The last time I wore foundation was for my Wonder Woman costume, and before that was my wedding. Seriously. I have pretty good skin, and I like not covering it up, though I love slathering it in hydrating under-eye creams and non-clogging sunscreens to keep it protected during the day.

In most posts, you’ll see me wear a little mascara or the occasional lip color, but to be honest, for a blogger, I’m pretty low maintenance. I wouldn’t consider it lazy because I do a lot of pampering to my skin every, single day. Instead, I’m just content; I don’t like to wear a lot of stuff on my face. I like to brush my hand across my cheek and not have any oily residue. I like to scratch my nose without foundation getting under my fingernail. I like to minimize my makeup removal routine at the end of the day with a few quick swipes and then get on with everything else.

In real life I only have two HAVE TO DO makeup steps: 1). always conceal my under-eyes, which I will likely never reveal to the world without makeup (they’re pretty dark thanks to my Middle-Eastern background); and 2). fix the brows. Everything else is optional or a bonus.

But lately, as I look around the internet, I realize for someone putting their face out there, I’m one of the odd ones out. Most women and online celebrities are full steam in the other direction. There isn’t a product they won’t use, they have primers for their face, eyes, and lips (wish I was joking), and have the highest tolerance for false eyelashes I’ve ever seen! And the result is excellent. They’ve got a look and image that is recognizable and often showcases their best self. They rarely ever look bad.

Sometimes when I look back at photos, I feel like I look so plain; like I’m not leaning into my features, making my eyes look giant, capitalizing on my cheekbones (which to me are too big), and all of that. And what I’m wondering at the end of it is: am I selling myself short? Do I present the best version of myself to the world? Will I really look better with more makeup, without feeling overdone? Would people care? I know how popular perfect hair photos are on the internet, but surely most people also like you for who you are in this digital reality…right?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot as I’d like to streamline my beauty routine a little more, and just for my own sanity, have a standard look that I wear every day. And maybe I should do a test here on She’s So Bright, and see if you guys even notice whether I’m going glam or not! While I’d never wear a contoured, airbrush face, I’m pretty sure whatever I come up with, it’ll still be subtle. And who knows, I may actually I look better!

How do you find a balance between how much makeup you wear? Do you use as many products as necessary to look your best? Or do you use just enough, so you’re not hiding your face under sunglasses at work? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!