JONES FOR A MELODY

Live, Love, and know that it is your right to show up unapologetically as you in every moment.

Melody Ann Jones

About Me

Melody Ann Jones. Songwriter. Singer. I think a lot... maybe too much... but that depends on who you ask ;-)

Wanna hear my music? Go to www.melodyannjones.com

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Makeup…  I used to wear it every day… didn’t matter if I was just going to the grocery store. I was that girl at the gym with concealer, powder, and eyeliner on. I look back now and see how ridiculous I must have looked. From the moment I learned how to use makeup, I wore it constantly until I didn’t even like how I looked without it on. I had more make-up than my friend who is actually a makeup artist.. and I treasured it so much. A big huge designer box full of foundations, concealers, eye shadows, blush compacts, lipsticks, etc…. I spent so much money on makeup it makes me cringe when I think about it now. The fact is I was terribly insecure. Never able to show the real me regardless of who was or wasn’t looking. Then one day… (probably from wearing so much makeup and forgetting to wash it off every night) my face broke out. Not just a few pimples, but a serious breakout. My entire face was flooded with acne. So much acne I couldn’t even wear make up to cover it up because it only made it look 10 times worse. For weeks I barely left the house out of embarrassment. I had gone through so many measures to learn how to apply my foundation just right so my otherwise clear skin looked flawless… and now I couldn’t wear any makeup because my skin had become so sensitive from the acne it burned when I put it on. I was envious of every person I saw that had clear skin. I looked at Neutrogena ads on television and wished with everything inside of me I could have their skin (not even considering all of the airbrushing that goes into those ads). After having a month long pity party, I had a songwriting session with a friend of mine who has struggled with acne for a good part of her life. She shared a few tips with me on how she controls her acne, but the most important thing she said to me was “You have to remember who you are, and truly value the gifts you have been given…. the only thing that truly matters is how you view yourself. If you believe you are beautiful, you wont fall prey to what you think people want you to be.” I didn’t realize how much of a hazard I was to myself by focusing constantly on what I felt were my imperfections. That was never going to make them go away. So…from that point on I didn’t open my makeup case in the morning. I went on what I called a “make-up fast”. I stopped focusing on my acne and started focusing on bettering myself. I worked on my diet, exercised more, spent more time with my family and friends, wrote more songs, read more books… and stopped trying to hide my face. It was hard at first, but within a month my face just started clearing up on its own… until it was just clear.  Today.. I rarely wear makeup. And if I do, its the bare minimum of what is needed. I don’t stress before I go out rushing to apply tons of makeup in the bathroom. If I don’t have time to put any on.. so be it. Im so grateful for another chance to value my skin and wear it proudly. Its crazy to me when people compliment me on my skin now, still surprises me because for so long I hid my face. Never again will I hide behind a mask so much that I come to depend on it. This is me… I am unapologetically showing up in the world with no make up on. Deal with it. 

Makeup… 

I used to wear it every day… didn’t matter if I was just going to the grocery store. I was that girl at the gym with concealer, powder, and eyeliner on. I look back now and see how ridiculous I must have looked. From the moment I learned how to use makeup, I wore it constantly until I didn’t even like how I looked without it on. I had more make-up than my friend who is actually a makeup artist.. and I treasured it so much. A big huge designer box full of foundations, concealers, eye shadows, blush compacts, lipsticks, etc…. I spent so much money on makeup it makes me cringe when I think about it now. The fact is I was terribly insecure. Never able to show the real me regardless of who was or wasn’t looking. Then one day… (probably from wearing so much makeup and forgetting to wash it off every night) my face broke out. Not just a few pimples, but a serious breakout. My entire face was flooded with acne. So much acne I couldn’t even wear make up to cover it up because it only made it look 10 times worse. For weeks I barely left the house out of embarrassment. I had gone through so many measures to learn how to apply my foundation just right so my otherwise clear skin looked flawless… and now I couldn’t wear any makeup because my skin had become so sensitive from the acne it burned when I put it on. I was envious of every person I saw that had clear skin. I looked at Neutrogena ads on television and wished with everything inside of me I could have their skin (not even considering all of the airbrushing that goes into those ads). After having a month long pity party, I had a songwriting session with a friend of mine who has struggled with acne for a good part of her life. She shared a few tips with me on how she controls her acne, but the most important thing she said to me was “You have to remember who you are, and truly value the gifts you have been given…. the only thing that truly matters is how you view yourself. If you believe you are beautiful, you wont fall prey to what you think people want you to be.” I didn’t realize how much of a hazard I was to myself by focusing constantly on what I felt were my imperfections. That was never going to make them go away. So…from that point on I didn’t open my makeup case in the morning. I went on what I called a “make-up fast”. I stopped focusing on my acne and started focusing on bettering myself. I worked on my diet, exercised more, spent more time with my family and friends, wrote more songs, read more books… and stopped trying to hide my face. It was hard at first, but within a month my face just started clearing up on its own… until it was just clear. 

Today.. I rarely wear makeup. And if I do, its the bare minimum of what is needed. I don’t stress before I go out rushing to apply tons of makeup in the bathroom. If I don’t have time to put any on.. so be it. Im so grateful for another chance to value my skin and wear it proudly. Its crazy to me when people compliment me on my skin now, still surprises me because for so long I hid my face. Never again will I hide behind a mask so much that I come to depend on it. This is me… I am unapologetically showing up in the world with no make up on. Deal with it.