My boyfriend and I have been together for 6 years and he's seen me without any makeup on ONCE. He said I was beautiful without it, but I was the clearest I'd ever been when I showed him.
I always have a little makeup on, and I wear makeup that won't melt away when I have to go swimming in the summer. As far as showering together goes, I never wash my face while he's in there with me. Recently, now that I'm fairly clear of active acne, I've started washing my face in dim lighting around him. He doesn't say anything. I always tell him to turn the light off before I walk into the bedroom at night so he won't see me.
It's hard...not being able to show your own boyfriend your real face. He knows that he hasn't seen me without makeup very much. He's okay with it because he knows I'm sensitive about it. BUT....what I wouldn't give to get rid of this anxiety that came along with acne. Because honestly, my face isn't that bad...but I still feel like I can't show him my face. Acne brings about a lot of irrational fears.
I've been on both sides of the situation, both as the person with the insecurities about their skin in front of their partner, and as the partner of someone with insecurities about their skin. It's something we've talked about and we're not really bothered by it at all now. I think my girlfriend's actually the only person I've ever felt totally secure with, regardless of what my skin's doing. In fact, being around her makes me feel better about myself generally. I guess that's how it should be. I'd think for anyone who has a strong relationship with their partner, built on more than just physical attraction, the bond between you is attractive in itself and that makes you attracted to them regardless. From a guys point of view, I wouldn't care one bit and I reckon most guys are the same. Personally, I'd be more concerned with how my girlfriend felt about how she looked, rather than how she looked to me, and I'd want to help her feel better about herself.
