From here on out, Alicia Keys is completely makeup free. The headlines were infinite as I Googled for further research. Why did she do it? Is she really going to do this permanently? How is this furthering feminist culture? These are the questions I have, and here are the answers I have uncovered.

A few weeks ago, Keys was fresh from the gym and ready to get primped for a photoshoot for her new album. The photographer stopped her, and told her that she should consider doing this with no makeup. She understood that Keys' new album is inspiring, powerful and real, so the images should reflect just that. Initially, Keys dismissed the idea because her face was, "raw," and she was in no way prepared to take professional pictures. However, she obliged and because of that we are forever grateful.

So why did she do this? After the shoot, she wrote a short essay explaining her decision and it really opened up my mind. In her essay she writes that from a young age she's always felt the pressure to conform to "perfection," or at least society's meaning of the word. She says that without makeup or certain clothes, she always felt that she wasn't "good enough for the world to see" because she wasn't confirming to society's standards.

At the end of her essay, she states that she hopes this becomes a revolution. She hopes that those who are exposed to society's standards that put down, shame and emotionally lessen, become aware that they can turn the tables on conformity. However, will this be a permanent action? As an active supporter of her statement, I surely hope so because it is incredibly empowering to see someone truly making a statement against our culture of perfection and conformity, and then living it. This action is truly eye opening and will do much for the feminist movement. The movement towards gender equality includes the act of eliminating society's pressure towards women and men to be (and look) a certain way. With Alicia Keys making this bold statement, there is no way but up for women everywhere.

This is not to say makeup is wrong. Her action is not to put down people who wear makeup, but rather to tell everyone that we shouldn't wear it because we feel we need to please the public. Her action is to tell people that not wearing makeup doesn't make you less of a woman, and that you can find ways to empower yourself that don't involve conformity. Her action is to tell people that makeup isn't bad, and together we can use (or not use) these tools we have been given to go against the grain and continue this progression towards equality and empowerment.

I am proud of Alicia Keys for making this decision because this will give everyone who sees it a chance to rethink how they attempt to conform everyday, and see that they no longer need to do so in order to please our society's standards. In the words of the goddess herself: "I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing."