18 FA SH IO N & L I F EST Y L E
SIN Vol. 21 Issue 09
MY WEEK WITHOUT MAKEUP:
7 Days with My Naked Skin By Anastasia Burton Make-up is beautiful and fun but can also be timeconsuming and unhealthy for your skin, and your self-esteem, if worn every day. For the past week, I have refused to wear make-up as a challenge, to see how my skin would react to being bare. I must say, it was hard to say “no” to doing a fun eye look, and it was terribly tempting to hide my imperfections with some foundation and concealer, but I stayed strong. This is how seven days with my naked skin impacted on my life.
DAY 1: I woke up early, the way I usually do, to give myself time to do my make-up and grab something to eat. That morning, I went over to my make-up desk and remembered my experiment. This made me a bit scared. I looked into the mirror and saw my hideous black under-eye bags and my red blotchy skin, plus a bright red pimple on my chin, before realizing that I would not be able to hide those imperfections. This made a slight dent in my self-esteem throughout the day; I found myself avoiding mirrors and I wanted to stay away from Snapchat. By the end of the day, I felt glad to finally be home to be ugly in peace. DAY 2: I decided to sleep-in a little longer since I no longer needed time for make-up (I was also afraid
of the black under-eye). I found myself having more time to eat my breakfast without rushing out the door. I still felt an itch to hide my skin imperfections, and of course the anxiety was still there. But despite this, the day went smoothly; I enjoyed the fact that I could rub my nose and not rub off half of my makeup. I also enjoyed rubbing my eye and not having sparkles and mascara smudged all over my face.
DAY 3: My skin looked healthier. The pimple cleared up on its own and my skin didn’t look as blotchy as usual. I felt fresh. I felt comfortable with just moisturizer on my face for the day, but I was still slightly concerned when I met with my boyfriend, in case he found me less attractive without make-up. I had a long day, with lectures that started at 9am and finished at 6pm, so I was just as happy that I could skip the make-up removing process before I went to bed. DAY 4: I enjoyed my extra hour of sleep with the absence of make-up application. I was less hungry throughout the day because I had enough time for a proper breakfast. My skin felt lighter and softer. I wasn’t worried as much about what other people thought of my appearance, however, I still felt like I was not at my best. Going make-up free also restricted me from socializing and going out.
DAY 5: I was feeling completely normal. I felt accepting when I looked in the mirror and enjoyed my skin care routine, which now took less time and made my skin feel fresher. My friends and my partner had commented that I looked very cute
I still felt an itch to hide my skin imperfections, and of course the anxiety was still there. But despite this, the day went smoothly; I enjoyed the fact that I could rub my nose and not rub off half of my make-up. without make-up and that I didn’t really need it. As basic as those compliments sounded, they did help me feel more confident in my naked skin.
DAY 6: I finally plucked up the courage to go on a night out with no make-up on! It felt great to not
worry about smudged lipstick and leaving lipstick marks everywhere. It felt nice to be able to go straight to bed after a long night without worrying about skin care before bed.
DAY 7: I felt a sort of aversion to make-up. I still loved it, and was excited to play with my eyeshadow again, but I didn’t feel like I needed to do that to feel pretty. I went to work without make-up and went to all my meetings makeup free. My skin did improve, with most of my breakouts clearing up, and my face feeling more moisturized and freer. I felt more confident and beautiful naturally, rather than with artificial products packed on my face. I enjoyed the extra time of sleep and the earlier bedtime. I enjoyed laying on my partner’s chest and not leaving a big make-up print on his hoodie. I enjoyed giving people hugs without leaving highlight sparkles everywhere! Overall, this was a challenging week, where I was faced with my own imperfections and learned how to embrace them. I learned how dependent I felt on make-up and that I really didn’t need it to feel prettier. I enjoyed all the spare time I had and the lack of wipes in my bin. Overall, it was a growing experience, and after that week, I find myself still avoiding make-up!
THE FOODIE DIARIES: Udon Noodles By Isabel Dwyer Sometimes, all you need is a takeaway from Xi’an. And sometimes, you don’t have enough money in your account to order said takeaway. When the umami craving hits, I like to go for a simple vegetarian noodle dish like this udon one. It’s fast, cheap, and infinitely customisable. For these nood’s, you’ll need a cabbage (I like the curly type), spring onions, garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, spinach and udon noodles. If you want to be savvy with your sauces, the Asian grocery stores in town are a necessity. Jasmine Asian Grocery and Asiatica are both located around the Lower Abbeygate Street area, and both stock amazing quality sauces in bulk for cheap. Plus, it’s never bad to support local and independent businesses. You can find your noodles and veggies here too. In a lot of Asian stores, vegetables are sold by weight which is hugely student-friendly; less waste, less moola. Other than that, Tesco on Headford Road is always a good bet for Asian ingredients. Start by preparing your udon noodles according to their packet. The ready-to-eat ones that come in those vacuumed pouches are great but need to be softened in hot water first. You’re going to want to manipulate them around the water a little bit in order to free them from their freaky, cubic form. Just be gentle so as not to break them up. In a super hot pan, add some oil and some chopped or grated cabbage (about a quarter of a head per person). Sesame oil adds something really special to noodle dishes, so if you have it in that bread-crumbed hole in the wall that you call a press, grab it, but use carefully. It’s better to drizzle over the end product rather than cooking the ingredients in it, as it burns easily and changes flavour as a result. But, back to the cabbage. Keep the heat on high
and let it brown nicely. We’re looking for a sort of charred flavour here. To caramelise, add a teaspoon of sugar and a dash of soy sauce. Stir and allow it to break down. This provides a great base of flavour for the oncoming ingredients. At this point, add your chopped garlic. As always, go for as many cloves as you’re brave enough to handle. We wait until now to add the garlic in order to prevent burning, and to maintain it at that aromatic state. Now, add a handful or two of spinach and mix in. Gently stir in the noodles, plus a dollop of oyster sauce and equal amounts of soy sauce. Once combined, taste. If it needs more salt, add another dash of soy sauce. If it needs sweetness, add another pinch of sugar. Plate up in a bowl and top with lots of chopped spring onion. Mushrooms, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, and fresh chilli are all examples of ways to jazz this recipe up according to your own personal tastes. To make it vegan, swap out the oyster sauce for a vegan hoisin sauce instead. Who knows, maybe if you survive off of these noodles for a while, you might be able to save up enough money to visit the sacred ground that is Xi’an on Quay Street and buy yourself the real deal.
