In our latest series, My Middle School Beauty Blunders, NaturallyCurly editors discuss that one awkward phase we sometimes wish could have come with a redo, or just willfully ignore altogether.
Below our copywriter, April discusses the beauty lesson that makes her cringe
I didn’t start wearing makeup regularly until about 8th grade…
but my go-to was thick eyeliner in any number of colors and either beauty store black lipstick or blue lips, courtesy of a discontinued Wet n’ Wild eye pencil + some chap stick. Rihanna got the idea from me, thank you very much. I was ahead of my time during middle school.
My biggest mistake was eyeliner zigzags past my eyes.
I was definitely overcompensating for my glasses, but most of the time the pencil just got away from me if I’m being honest. Probably looked that way too. The technicolor raccoon eyes come in a close second. I’d tell 7th grade April to go on and get going natural out of the way, but other than that, not much. That kid had her own style, and was killing it.
I wanted my hair to be free…
so I preferred wearing it “out.” Until I started getting protective styles, it was just relax it, weep openly, then brush it, and go. I did like sweeping it as much over my forehead and eyes as possible though. Cutting my own bangs could have qualified as my biggest mistake, but once they grew out, it wasn’t half bad!
My role models were anime characters.
Not much has changed except my understanding of hair physics and taking myself a little less seriously, but at that time in my life I’m pretty sure I was trying to be every character from geek treasure Inuyasha at once. I wanted to be cool, and strong, and be able to slash a tree apart with my bare hands—was that too much to ask?
You’d think I’d have gotten picked on, but I was a bold, angry, hands-throwing little kid.
My biggest hurdle was struggling with my body image and trying to get along with my newly moved-in stepsister. Going 13 years not having to share a bathroom with someone my age really spoiled me.
Want more from April?
Of course you do. Read her latest, What Makes Natural Curlies Supernatural? and follow her on Instagram@firstchurchofapril
