12 Stunning Photos That Reveal the Power of Makeup

"Usually, I wear little to no makeup because that's how I feel most like myself. But with just half my face made up, you can really see the difference that using just a few products can make. Whether that's something you want to do every day or not, it's empowering to know you have the power to make yourself up as you want."

"This look is so far from what I normally wear that it made me feel self-conscious, but it showed me how quickly my face can be transformed by bombshell makeup."

"Generally, I feel beautiful with or without makeup, but I usually wear makeup because it makes me feel put together — like I've put my best foot forward. With makeup on just half my face, the contrast between how I look [without makeup] and the Joan Smalls-inspired makeup was so stark, it felt like I was two different people: There was regular me and then there was a little bolder and more badass me!"

"Wearing a lot of makeup makes me feel dressed up, so on a regular basis I only use mascara and concealer. This look was definitely a dramatic change for me, especially compared to the other half of my bare face. But I was surprised that I could actually pull off that much eye makeup and my eyes didn't disappear like I thought they would!"

"I feel glamorous and feminine when I wear makeup, but without it I feel totally undone. So the idea of shooting with a half-exposed face was nerve-racking for me! I ended up feeling so empowered by the half-face concept that I went back to work with a completely bare face. That's no small feat for a woman who wears false lashes to the swimming pool (don't judge)."

"It's really interesting to look at yourself with full makeup on one side and nothing on the other. It made me realize how much better I look and feel with a little help from the products that were used on me. There's no shame in that!"

"Even though I have problems with acne and dark marks, which past breakouts have left behind, I don't feel like it's the end of the world if my skin issues are exposed. However, wearing makeup does make me feel more secure about my skin and put together overall. I loved this particular half-face makeup though, because it showed me that I can wear makeup and still look like myself."

"I wear makeup during the week because I feel more polished and professional with it on, but I rarely wear it on the weekends when I'm just relaxing. Having half of my face done at the shoot was definitely interesting! I loved seeing the contrast of being fully made up and completely bare at the same time — it allowed me to see that I'm still 'me' no matter how much makeup I'm wearing."

"I'd love to get to the point where I could wear no makeup at all, but I feel too insecure without it on because of my adult acne and scarring. Watching the makeup artist put the foundation on, leaving it looking perfectly natural and not caked on, I was in awe of how easy it seemed for me to have flawless-looking skin. It looked so clear compared to the other half of my face! The transformation definitely left me feeling more confident."

"With makeup on one side, I felt like Two-Face from Batman! But generally I don't feel much different when I'm not wearing makeup. I didn't start wearing it regularly until I was 21, and as much as I love it, I still feel totally comfortable without it."

"I felt very self-conscious in the makeup, which was actually kind of surprising. I don't normally wear a ton of makeup, and once I had the heavy makeup on one of my face, I realized how much more comfortable I am with a bare face."

"I'm not a fan of having anything on my skin other than moisturizer, so I felt pretty uncomfortable with foundation on. When I saw the final look, it was jarring to see how different the dramatic, heavy makeup look compared to the other half of my face. Even I had to do a double take in the mirror! But I ended up deciding that I'm totally into the idea of wearing a smoky eye on a night out!"