Can you believe it’s been nearly seven months since we wrapped up The Naked Face Project?  I certainly can’t.

The Naked Face Project was a sixty-day challenge to give up all forms of feminine primping – I went two months without wearing any makeup, jewelry, fancy clothes or high heels; I stopped shaving entirely; and I even gave up deodorant for a few weeks (and then I realized that deo is most definitely a hygiene product and not a beauty product). 

The thought process behind TNFP is explained in depth here, and I encourage you to read the original post, but basically, the Project was not necessarily a commentary on the habits themselves – I wanted to discover why I engaged in these habits and how I would feel if I didn’t.   At the end of the project, I immediately jumped in the shower and shaved my legs.  But seven months later, I haven’t returned to wearing daily makeup.  The project was extremely freeing for me and really helped me feel even more comfortable in my own skin.  Sometimes I put on makeup for special occasions, but I usually don’t, and even if I look ‘better’ with makeup on, I prefer my life this way.  I never even think twice about posting less-than-flattering photos of myself on the blog because – heck – it’s what I really look like sometimes!  Just trying to keep it real.  Thus, in general, my outlook really hasn’t changed since I wrote my conclusion post.

But what I really wanted to talk about in this post was how two women, Kate and Krisula, at Whitworth University used The Naked Face Project concept to drive discussion and encourage a more positive outlook about beauty on their college campus.  I spoke at the college on last night to kick the week off, and for the next six days, hundreds of students have pledged to go makeup-free.  The school is also hosting a panel discussion called “The Guy Panel” in which ten men will take questions from the audience, discuss how they feel about makeup, and share their feelings on the pressures they feel as men to look and act a certain way (I LOVE that they are getting men involved).

The coolest part about Whitworth University’s project is their amazing Facebook page.  On it, they have posted over 120 photos taken by a student photographer named Tanner of students with half-naked and half-makeup/Photoshopped faces.  The images are so striking, and I asked if I could repost a few of Tanner’s photos on the blog.  I hope you enjoy them – I found them so interesting to look at. 

In conclusion, I really admire Kate and Krisula for taking The Naked Face Project concept and running with it.  They’ve gotten a huge portion of their campus involved and created some really interesting dialogue with various student groups. 

And isn’t that what it’s really all about?  Talking, sharing, discovering, exploring!