How do you feel about yourself when you have no makeup on?  Are you confident?  Does your inner beauty shine through?  No matter whether you are a senior in high school or a mom or a photographer, we all just want to feel and look beautiful.  Sometimes that beauty can be wrapped up in the outer package and so many girls put pressure on themselves to “get dolled up” that they forget about their inner beauty.

I remember my days in high school, getting up two hours before school, just to get ready.  Making sure my outfit was stylish, my hair was done and my makeup was perfect.  I couldn’t imagine going to school without all of that.  It almost became a chore. It would have been so refreshing and liberating to go to school without all of that stuff.

So when Misti Davis of Pink Fly Photo sent me a story about one of her seniors who set out to show that girls don’t have to get all dolled up everyday to be beautiful, I knew I had to feature it.  Just hearing this story made me stop and think about how I view myself with and without makeup.

Monica Plenger got together with her friends and started a movement at their high school in Texas.  As a member of the Student Congress, she and her friends presented this idea for approval.  She knew that by doing a No Makeup Day, girls could learn that confidence comes from within.

“At first, I had friends say that they wouldn’t participate,” said Monica.  “But in the end people I didn’t think would participate, did!”

Monica and her friends don’t want people to think makeup is bad.  In fact, Monica had her makeup done for her senior photo session with Pink Fly Photo and loved it.  But she wants to show that by committing to one day without makeup we can concentrate on inner beauty instead of outer beauty.

I loved this message so much that I thought it was a wonderful thing to share on Seniorologie.  While most senior portrait photographers promote makeup as part of their senior portrait experience (and there is nothing wrong with that!), it is nice to be reminded that seniors girls are so much more than just their outer appearance.  Really showcasing a senior by capturing their personality in the photos you take is the key to being able to capture amazing photos of that seniors’ inner and outer beauty!

Operation Beautiful has been featured on Good Morning America as well as many other media sites.  I was lucky enough to sit down with Monica via Skype and interview her about this story.  Check it out below as well as the other sites that are listed where Monica and her friends have been featured.

The Video that started it all:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZagvqySITo

Local News Feature:

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/collin/Students-push-a-no-makeup-movement-at-Plano-Senior-HS-195704371.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

Good Morning America Feature:

 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=615457038469805