I find beauty a difficult concept to grasp. A person can be beautiful, a landscape can be beautiful, a soul can be beautiful. There is even a beauty industry. While I respect the artistry of make-up, the culture surrounding it alarms me.
I have always seen beauty and sexual attractiveness as two very separate concepts. Lately, I've been noticing how intertwined they have become. Child beauty pageants are rewarding young girls for twerking and getting spray tans. What happened to subtle, individual beauty?
There is a lot of character in a face. I am a potter, and frequently make face mugs. As I pass people on the street or walk into a restaurant, I like to look for people with interesting, what I would call beautiful, features. I may stare at times. It is something I'm trying to stop, but I am fascinated by faces. Humans are very successful at deciphering facial expressions and micro-expressions. Our genetics produce outstanding diversity among our bodies, and I like to try to capture that.
Each face tells a story to me. Suddenly the person is a character in their own movie. The setting may overlap with that of others, but their story is their own. The face can tell the tone of the story, even offer clues about how long it has been in production. The perception of beauty can be as individual as its representation in reality.
My perception of beauty, typically defined as uniqueness, is different from the norm in America; but the definition of beauty changes from culture to culture. Why are so many people changing themselves, paying money, to fit a prototype? I'm not saying don't wear make-up. I'm saying I don't like that, as a girl, I am expected to occasionally wear make-up. Why does my job interview routine need to include an extra step, but a man's doesn't?
I wore make-up for a brief period in high school. One day, a friend of mine texted me; he was going to swing by and drop off part of a group project on the way home. I estimated I had ten minutes, ran to the bathroom, and hastily started doing my make-up. After dropping my foundation, I realized how silly I was being. Somehow, my confidence had become tied to make-up. I quit cold turkey.
Personally, I like not having a make-up routine. It allows me to sleep in a little later and save some cash. If you like wearing it, that's great! I just feel the need to say that it is a choice. Sure, you can cover up a zit if it bothers you, but please don't feel the need to cover you. Your face may not be your choice. What you do with it, whether male or female, is.