Bad Skin Is Brat

She's a party girl. She's out all night, dancing and sweating. She's consumed a multitude of toxins. She slept in her makeup. And you expect her to be blemish-free? Think again.

Acne is brat.

I'm sure some of you are still confused on the whole brat concept that has bombarded pop culture since the release of Charli XCX's hit album.

Allow me to elucidate.

A brat describes the ULTIMATE club rat. She's messy and embraces it. She does NOT wait in line, she's on the list and/or knows the bouncer.

The entire contents of my purse after a night out. There was a lip but I lost it.

Within her purse you'll find:

A lipliner

A few crumbled $1 bills

An ID (possibly fake)

And (hopefully) her apartment keys

You will not see hide nor hair of:

A wallet (Buy her own drinks?? Never.)

Illicit substances (She gets those from strangers in the VIP she finessed her way into)

Phone (she'll later find it wedged between the couch cushions of said section)

My favorite thing about a brat is that she's present. She exists in the moment while simultaneously BEING the moment. Her carefree spirit and lack of inhibition is admirable. She's reckless and she knows it, but she doesn't mind!

Me being brat at a Charli XCX dance party.

With all of this said, I am only a brat in stories these days. I have retired from the party scene (for the most part). You can still catch me out at a bar or club from time to time, but I won't be nearly as inebriated. Something about being of age depletes the excitement of nightlife.

The only thing that brings me outside nowadays is the opportunity to DANCE. Dancing is a brat essential.

Now, let's get to the explanation of why bad skin is brat as can be.

Allow me to paint a picture of the brattiest chick in the game.

It's Friday morning. She's un/self-employed and fabulous so naturally, she went partying on a Thursday.

She slept out and didn't wake up until 4pm. The dude's place she crashed at hasn't washed his sheets in 3 months. She didn't pee after sex so now she has a UTI. UTIs are also very brat.

She operates on a pizza & pastry diet, rarely finding time for meals. Her body pleads for water but she opts for a Monster energy drink.

The next event starts in a few hours so there's no point in her going home. She'll borrow a dress--one she likely won't return--from a friend. She changes into it in the bathroom of a pizza joint next to the venue. Her makeup from the night prior is entirely smudged but it's a LOOK, so she doesn't bother wiping it off.

She's constantly retreating to the restroom due to her UTI status and...other reasons.

All of these bratty actions are factors that lead to breakouts. Real brats have bad skin and THEY DON'T CARE so nobody else does either!

Now, an ode to the 2021 bratification of Sara Jacalone:

Brat should not be a goal lifestyle. I repeat, DO NOT TRY BRAT AT HOME. I fear young girls are romanticizing the way of life and celebrities who lead it; influencing them to seek out chaos.

No, no, no, no, no. That’s soo not brat.

Brat, to me, is about finding yourself in an unfortunately messy situation and embracing that what you’re experiencing must run its course. It may be fun, but it's unsustainable.

BOTTOM LINE & the entire premise that inspired this post:

Everyone experiences breakouts at SOME POINT in their life (Except for my mother who gatekept her clear skin genetics from me.) Just rock the acne. Do what you wish to de-blemish yourself but don't stress it too much. It's totally normal and will eventually clear up.

Confidence is key here; if you don't bring attention to it, people won't even notice. Those who do notice and want to hate can't hurt you if you don't care. That last sentence is applicable to any insecurity; loving every little bit of yourself makes you untouchable.

Own the skin you're in!

TTFN,

Sara