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: our pre-teens.
Below our Senior Copywriter, Gerilyn, discusses an important beauty lesson from her middle school days.
My makeup look in middle school was non-existent.
My mother did not allow me to wear makeup. Like any (mildly”> rebellious adolescent, I railed against her wishes by wearing clear lip gloss and clear mascara, and painted my fingernails multicolors.
My biggest mistake… makeup wise? I do not have one, other than not sitting down with my mother and simply asking her to teach me how foundation and powder work. Sure, I still could, but I am set in my ways. Some things really do stay the same.
Advice to my 7th grade self? Dress like Bowie, listen to Chrissie Hynde, moisturize like Grace Jones.
My favorite hairstyle was the Aeon Flux asymmetrical bob… I am really telling my age, here.
I brought a picture of it to a mall salon stylist. She cut my relaxed, textureless hair into that style as best she could. Sadly, my hair refused to fall straight down to allow for such a sharp-edged shape. I ended up looking like a mushroom. Awww… memories.
Although I was called a multitude of things in middle school, I was trying to be a version of myself with a splash of Jimi Hendrix meets Daria. I mean, it kind of worked, I guess.
Hmmm…. I remember not really liking my physical appearance.
I was not ugly, nor was I cute… just kind of blended into the crowd. I dealt with bullying, name calling, passive aggressive comments; you know, the fun stuff. Fortunately for me, my mother and family members were adamant about my scholastic success, and steered me in the direction of college. I remember them telling me that I was smart, and for me – a full blown nerd of a teen – it felt just as important as being called “pretty.” It was an awful and strange time, but it was worth every second.
Want more of Gerilyn? Of course you do.
Read her latest,Black and Disruptive: Afropunk is Changing the Festival Marketplace and follow her on Instagram@gerilynhayes
