When I heard about the No Product Day Challenge, I thought to myself, “This is going to be so easy” as I already unintentionally do the challenge multiple times a week. Not only do I often forget my deodorant (which my mom would not be so happy to hear), I also only wear makeup a few times a week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester, I don’t have any class, so in the morning I don’t bother putting in my contacts or applying makeup. However, my experience with the No Product Day Challenge was very different than my typical “low effort” days.

When I woke up in the morning, I already felt like I was cheating the process: I applied lip balm. I know lip balm isn’t the end of the world, but I was disheartened that at 10 in the morning, I already needed to abbreviated the process due to my own insecurities. In my mind, I was off to a bad start. The rest of the day, I felt like I was putting very little effort in: I kept my glasses on, threw my hair in a messy bun and didn’t wear an outfit I particularly liked. Without my typical morning routine to boost my confidence, I didn’t feel particularly motivated. For me, if I’m going for the “low effort” look, it’s because I want to work out or do something productive in comfortable clothes, but when I didn’t do that and just had a “normal” day, I felt lazy. However, when I wear makeup and get dressed in a nice outfit, I feel productive even if I don’t necessarily do anything.

It’s important to mention that I also ended the challenge an hour early. That night I was going to a concert with some friends and wanted to look my best. So I put on deodorant, applied makeup, did my hair and put on a nice outfit. I felt guilty about quitting the challenge before it was fully completed, but I wanted to go out feeling good. That getting ready routine is almost essential for me to feel good about myself and the day ahead. While I’d be interested to try the challenge again with taking extra non-makeup related steps to boost my confidence, I don’t think there is anything wrong with what I currently do. It’s important to have a routine to feel ready for the day, and this challenge made me realize that even more.