Originally published on Shannon’s blog.

You may think, hang on a minute, social media is plastered with people dying their hair pink, trying new styles, and shaving their heads for the lols.

An you would be right of course! A lot of people appear to be using this time of staying home and social distancing to get a bit adventurous with their look. Especially as their is time to change it back or grow it out.

If there were a time to experiment, I would definitely say it is now.

On the other hand, a lot of people, myself included, have decided to use this time to strip it back and ditched the makeup, fake tan, styling tools and everything else, opting for a more natural look.

Rather than keeping up with vigorous beauty routines and complying to social pressures of beauty, I have ditched the everyday routine and really stripped it back.

Nails are growing out. Pores can breathe from the lack of makeup. Hair is drying naturally and only being put in a scrunchie.

What I have found is that when you strip back from these beauty rituals and time consuming routines, it is striking to notice what I class as important and worth it in my everyday beauty routine.

I have found that I actually prefer not wearing makeup and being fussy about how I look. I am finding the thought of the next time I will apply makeup straining and not something I will enjoy.

It has also made me realise that I feel clogged when I wear my typical amount of makeup, which wasn’t even a lot in the first place. And how unsustainable it is, for time, money and even my mental health.

Having spoken to my friends and family, they all feel the same and have felt refreshed from not needing to “waste time” on their beauty routines, and are also opting for a natural beauty look day-to-day.

Perhaps, we will become so comfortable and confident wearing so little makeup, that it will transcend into our post-isolation life.

This also seems to be the perfect opportunity to consider how much we outsource on beauty – nails, hair, eyebrows, spray tans, lashes – and whether we can learn to do it ourselves and be more resourceful by learning a new skill.

So you never know. Giving your brother a hair fade or doing your own gels, may become a monthly fixture. Alternatively, we could go the other way and find happiness in getting glam or keeping the pink hair for the foreseeable.

It is something that we definitely should keep an eye out for, and I am still unsure which way I will go, however, with more work strain, deadlines and life to fit into each day, I am definitely leaning towards one outcome for myself. Particularly as I am enjoying my summer freckles and glowy skin.

Words by Shannon Mountford.