Gill in her usual mode, free of make-up

Gill Hoffs is a 35-year-old writer and mother from Warrington. It's been about 20 years since she properly wore make-up.

There wasn't a defining moment where I realised I didn't have to wear make-up to still feel like me, it wasn't a single conscious decision or some kind of watershed moment or idealistic awakening. Other people might see me as lazy but I think of myself as differently efficient. Why waste however many days a year smearing something on and off your skin and applying heat to your hair and clothing if you would rather spend that time following your passion or at least having fun? I went through a brief phase of wearing mascara and lilac eyeshadow daily as a teenager, but apart from that it's just never been something I often wear.

There's nothing hard about not wearing make-up - I'd find it way more problematic, a boring and (to me) pointless chore, to have to apply, then later on remove, make-up every day. And make sure I had the 'right' products on if it was hot or it rained. And that my favourites weren't discontinued or changed. And to be careful I didn't absent-mindedly rub my eyes and smear mascara all over my face. None of that appeals to me.

I think my skin is probably better for being exposed to fresh air, my bathroom is less cluttered than it would be with lots of cosmetics lying about (ditto my bag), and it saves a lot of money considering that the eyeshadow I bought when I was about 13, the blusher I purchased in 2001, and the concealer and lipstick I got for an important job interview in 2003 are still on the go.

My daily routine takes a couple of minutes at most. It consists of a pee, washing my hands with soap and my face with water, a squirt of deodorant, and a quick brush of my teeth. I suspect if I were to apply foundation, concealer, blusher, mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and do something with my hair then I'd be spending an additional half hour a day on something I really don't care about. And that's before I even start taking into account shopping for it, removing it, or looking for mirrors or reflective surfaces while I'm out. I cut and dye my own hair, refuse to iron anything, ever, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me because of it.

I'm quite obsessive about using lipbalm. I have at least one chapstick or pot on or with me at all times, but it's not for prettification purposes, it's because my lips crack and bleed without it. If I get dry patches on my face, especially in winter, I find Boots Protect & Perfect Serum really is perfect as it moisturizes my skin without making my skin break out. I have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) so I tend to have a couple of spots at any one time and most moisturizers make them worse, but after watching The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off, the documentary on the man with EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa) who died of skin cancer, I'm particularly aware of how privileged I am to have healthy, functioning skin.

Bare-faced beauty: meet the women who go make-up free every day