By Tope Olotu
Makeup and filters can be fun. They highlight our beauty, creativity, and style. They let us play, explore, and express ourselves in endless ways. But as much as they enhance our appearance, we should never let them define us. Use them. Enjoy them. Express yourself through them. But never forget to love the face that needs neither.
Your skin has lived through sunshine and rain, laughter and tears, late nights and early mornings, lessons and growth. It carries your story, every freckle, line, scar, mark, and uneven tone tells a chapter of where you’ve been and who you’ve become.
Makeup and filters can smooth the surface, but they can’t erase the journey.
I know this deeply.
I have some marks on my face; right there, where they can’t easily be hidden.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to use good makeup, concealers, camera angles, and filters to make them less visible in photos and videos. Sometimes, it works beautifully, and at other times, not so much. We have photo evidence of some “ojuju calabar” moments – haha. Getting a good makeup done is an art. Shoutout to the beautiful ladies who step out every day, all looking glamorous. When I grow up, I want to be like you. Your girl here is still struggling to get her make-up right from time to time. I do really enjoy a good makeup. I love the magic that a good foundation, concealer, and powder can do to give me a little glam and cover my facial marks. But even when I cover them, I live with them. They’ve been with me since childhood, and they are a part of me.
What I do know is that every scar tells a story, a story of healing, endurance, and becoming. Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross once wrote, “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths… Beautiful people do not just happen.” Those words remind me that beauty isn’t found in flawless skin or filtered pictures; it’s found in the quiet strength of those who have lived. Our scars, freckles, and uneven tones are not imperfections; they are evidence of survival. They whisper of moments we thought we wouldn’t make it through, lessons we’ve learned, and growth that couldn’t have happened any other way.
I wrote a little more about this in one of my upcoming books (stay tuned). However, right now, I can tell you that embracing my facial marks was one of the most freeing things I’ve ever done. It didn’t happen overnight; it took time, tears, and truth, but when I finally accepted them as part of my story, I found peace.
So, yes, I wear makeup when I’m patient enough, can find the time, or get it right. I joke that when I “make it”, I will have a personal make-up artist for my outings. Haha. Don’t tell my hubby. And, I also do enjoy a good filter every now and then. If you have good recommendations, send them my way – haha.
But I also smile when I’m alone, barefaced and unfiltered. I also love the girl without the concealer, camera tricks, and image editors, because she’s still me. She’s still beautiful. She’s still worthy.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
The face we see in the mirror, with all its scars, marks, wrinkles, is not something to conceal in shame but to honor with gratitude, because every line, every mark, is proof that we have lived, conquered, loved, and endured. Every single scar, stretch mark, or feature is a sentence in the story of you. Your body is not a mistake to be fixed; it’s a testament to your journey. Don’t hide it in shame, honor it. It carried you through battles you didn’t think you’d survive, through seasons of stretching, healing, and becoming. Those marks are not flaws; they are footprints of growth.
Treat your body with kindness. Nourish it. Rest it. Speak gently to it. Speak life into it. Care for it like the precious home it is, because that’s precisely what it has been, your home through every joy, every tear, every trial, and every transformation.
I have been blessed to wear many hats in this beautiful life – wife, mother, full-time employee, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, friend, community advocate, nutritionist, and a lifelong learner. Each role comes with its own time demands, and like you, I know that life can get busy and unpredictable, sometimes making healthy choices feel like one more thing on the to-do list. But as a nutrition professional, I also understand the power of food as fuel and self-care. So I remind myself daily to nourish my body with fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and water, while limiting added sugars, excess salt, and saturated fat.
I have some resources that can support you on your health journey as you nourish your body. Visit tealnutrition.com to explore culturally relevant nutrition resources that I contribute to.
Makeup and filters can glam you up on the outside, but your body also needs the inner glow that comes from being well-nourished and cared for. True beauty radiates when you honor both the external sparkle and the internal strength.
Do not forget the place of self-love and self-care. It starts with good nutrition. Then rest, recharge, and control what you can. Remember, “problem no dey finish”. I think we should keep that gist for another day.
Makeup and filters have their place, but they should never replace self-love. The real glow begins when you can look in the mirror, with or without the extras, and say with a full heart:
“Still me. Still worthy. Still beautiful.”
Now, let’s pause for TEA:
- Thought: Makeup and filters enhance; they don’t define.
- Encouragement: Love and nourish the body rocking the concealer and the filter.
- Affirmation: “I am beautiful, with or without filters and makeup.
“I love the magic of a good foundation, concealer, and powder. And, I also do enjoy a good filter every now and then. But I also love the girl without them. Because she’s still me. She’s still beautiful. She’s still worthy.”
About Me
I am a certified project management professional, a community advocate, and a compassionate nutritionist.
I share thoughts, encouragement, and affirmations through my TeaWithTope posts. I also created Teal Nutrition, offering culturally relevant nutrition education and resources for agile living. Through ITOSugar, I share diabetes education content that speaks your language.
I am very active in my community, collaborating with others to educate and empower children, youth, young adults, women, and families through the non-profit initiatives I co-founded, including a youth club, Aspire Hub, and Tiraka, with branches in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Nigeria.
About TEAwithTope: Thoughts.
Encouragements.
Affirmations.
I share bite-sized reflections, personal thoughts, encouraging words, and affirmations rooted in truth through #TEAwithTope, where I invite you to pause and breathe, just like you would over a calming cup of tea. You may also want to explore and shop my favorite tea blends.
