Girlhood

Kailey

I took this photo during a hangout with my friends, where we were looking through each other’s lip products. A few of the friends that were present in this photo were actually people I was meeting for the first time, so it was exciting to get to know each other.

Makeup is often used to change appearance and boost confidence, but for my friends and me, bonding over makeup brings us together and provides us with a sense of belonging and community. To me, sharing makeup symbolizes trust, and I have been able to learn a lot about others by chatting with them about the types of products we use.

In this case, I was able to connect with people that I hadn’t gotten to know before without feeling judged or forcing myself to meet certain expectations. This helped me realize that we’re often pressured to constantly achieve and avoid taking breaks because many of us have been told by the media and the people around us that spending time with others is a waste of time.

Although we were all uniquely different people, bonding over our common interest in makeup allowed us to be fully present in our friendships with each other. To me, the form of community and belonging expressed in this picture is focused on friendship. Spending quality time with others and knowing that people enjoy being around me and want to get to know me is one of the most important things for me. Time is valuable, and sharing it with others really makes everyone feel like we belong.

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