Megan Young reveals her insecurities during pageantry
Having effortlessly fresh and flawless skin and looking glam is part of a celebrity's job. They're constantly pressured to look presentable at all times just to maintain an image. But what many people tend to forget is that models, actresses, and influencers are just like any human being—they deal with insecurities and the public's non-stop criticisms, too.
Just ask Megan Young, who revealed that she would use makeup every day to hide her imperfections. "A lot of the insecurity comes from when I did pageants," Young told PhilSTAR L!fe in an exclusive interview.
Young, who won the title Miss World in 2013, admitted that she'd wear full makeup every day as her "confidence shield" because she was afraid she'd be judged for her imperfections or get compared to other girls. "It gave me the confidence to be who I wanted to be, I could change my look whenever I wanted to," she added.
At that time, she was constantly struggling with her flaws that she couldn't even step out of her house for errands without putting on makeup. "I really did not feel confident in my own skin, and I felt like I was hindering myself from really accepting the little things," the former beauty queen said, adding that she'd hide even the smallest blemish.
Little by little, Young learned to love her skin. "I also know that I need to have a breather," she said. "I know that I need to focus on myself and accept myself for whichever version I am."
Young also shared that a big part of her journey to acceptance is her husband Mikael Daez, who would always make her feel that she is loved with or without flaws—in her "natural element." "He is one person that loves seeing me without makeup, without lipstick, he’s a non-lipstick believer," the actress said. "He loves me in my wackiest form, in moments that I feel I'm not as beautiful."
Now that she's learned to appreciate her skin more, Young has devoted her time into making sure that her overall well-being is taken cared of, starting with skincare. "If there’s one thing that I’ve learned to do for the past couple of years, it’s learning to love myself in my own skin. I want to feel empowered with or without makeup and not be hard on myself," she wrote in one of her Instagram posts.
Compared to years ago—when she started in show business at the age of 14—Young's skincare journey "has gone very far." "Before, moisturizer wasn't even in my vocabulary. But now, I have my holy grail moisturizer and I've been using this for a couple of months and it's done wonders to my skin," Young says talking about Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream, which her husband also loves.
"It was a big journey for me to really be confident with makeup and without makeup. And to be honest, I love both. These are two different versions of me that I will be proud of every single day."