A photographer is on a mission to take pictures of women embracing their natural beauty, sans makeup.
For his "No Makeup Series," photographer Steve Osemwenkhae has captured the natural beauty of more than 100 women. He told The Huffington Post that the idea came to him on his way to work when he noticed a fellow Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) passenger applying her makeup.
"As she layered her face with lotion and foundation, I started to think about a makeup-less photo session and how to showcase natural beauty," he said. "At that moment is when I decided to take on the project with a few friends."
Though Osemwenkhae initially planned on showcasing five to 10 of his friends in his series and sharing their thoughts toward makeup, the project has become much bigger. The photos are featured online, and Osemwenkhae is currently working on grants to create a book and a traveling gallery.
Osemwenkhae also hopes to hit the road in the future to photograph as many people as possible. His goal for the project is to help others understand the various ways women relate to makeup, social pressures and concepts of beauty.
"I want everyone to have their own voice when it comes to the narrative of beauty, and hopefully I can continue to do that within the next few years with these photos and videos," he said.
See more women embracing their natural beauty along with excerpts from their thoughts about makeup below.
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