Johns Hopkins University

I stare into my bathroom mirror as I remove the mask. For the first time, I will attend high school showing my full face. I need to be just like the girls on my TikTok feed. I examine each video, searching for the common thread. A hot pink blush gleams on each one of them. Despite the stark contrast between my pale Irish skin spattered with freckles and that of the sun-kissed influencers, I race t for the infamous Revlon Insta-Blush which comes in stick form, making it foolproof. Or, so I thought. On the first day of school, I optimistically swipe the stick across my face, waiting for instant…