"I stopped wearing makeup for a week and this is what happened."

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There are several reasons why I had gotten into the habit of wearing makeup every single day. It started when I was a teenager and developed horrible acne. Then I developed a stress-induced skin picking disorder during my early twenties.

The makeup habit continued. By the time I stopped doing that I was working at a makeup emporium and wearing makeup was sort of a requirement of the job as well as heaps of fun.

Then I got my first real job and putting makeup on each day made me feel ready to face the day.

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Now I’m in my late thirties and sometimes I don’t feel like wearing makeup or doing my hair. So I decided to stop for a week and see how I felt.

On the first couple of days I felt naked. I still moisturised and put on clear lip gloss but that was it. I didn’t run into anyone I knew so I eventually forgot about it and by day three I was running around as normal, making good use of the extra hour I had freed up each morning.

My best friend came over for coffee and after we chatted and sat down she asked me if I was sick.

“No, I’m great,” I said.

“It’s just that you’re all dark under your eyes,” she said.

“Oh, I’m just not wearing makeup. I’m always dark under my eyes. I just normally cover it up.”

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Then I dropped in to see my parents for lunch. Later that day my mum rang me and started asking me how I was, how I was feeling, do I need any money...

“What’s wrong,” I asked. “Why are you being weird?”

“Your dad thinks you’re on drugs,” she said. “We want to help you.”

“Why does he think I’m on drugs?!?”

“Because you look terrible. Have you been sleeping?”

“Yes Mum, I’ve been sleeping. I’m just not wearing makeup,” I assured her.

It didn’t sound like she believed me but she dropped the subject and eventually hung up.

When my husband arrived home I told him what had happened and he said, “You’re not wearing any makeup? I hadn’t noticed".

Head slap.

Then I took my daughter to the doctor to have her cough checked and our doctor said, “I’m more worried about you. Are you sure you’re not coming down with something".

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Okay, makeup experiment O-V-E-R.

Look, I get it. I’m not offended. We live in a world where makeup is sort of the norm and when people get used to you looking one way, and you suddenly look different, they are going to think you are tired, or on drugs, or coming down with a serious illness.

I do it too. I had lunch with a friend and said, “You’re looking better,” because she’s been suffering from adrenal failure lately. She said, “It’s just that I put foundation on today,” she said. See? Easily done. (Post continues after gallery).

And women have it tough, don’t we? We have thinner skin and as we age our eyebrows and eyelashes get thinner and our skin is sallow. Men get to shit-shower-shave (and put on deodorant and maybe a bit of hair gel) and they are out the door, none the wiser to what female partners have to try and achieve before walking out the door.

I remember years ago on The Oprah Show they did an experiment where men put on makeup and dresses and heels in an attempt to understand what their wives went through every day. It worked. They couldn’t believe how hard it was to be a woman.

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One man complained about how annoying it was when his hair would get stuck in his lip gloss.

I might still have the occasional makeup-free day but I think I’ll give my family and friends a ‘heads up’ first, just in case they stage an intervention and I end up in involuntary rehab.

Have you tried going without makeup?