Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, I’m sure you’ve seen YouTube beauty guru NikkieTutorial’s video called ‘The Power of MAKEUP!’ In the video, Nikkie talks about makeup shaming as she applies makeup to one half of her face, and leaves the other half bare. As the video goes on, she discusses how makeup shaming is so bad that people wo love makeup are ashamed to say so because others assume they are insecure or are only putting it on for boys. At one point in the video, she even talks about moments where she’s been barefaced and has shown people her work, and they blatantly say that they don’t believe the pictures are really her.
I’ve been playing with my mom’s makeup since I was a little kid. I have vivid memories of digging through her makeup drawer in the bathroom, putting on enough eyeliner to make me look like a panda, bright blush, and even brighter lipstick. As the years have progressed, I’ve built up my own makeup collection, from brushes and eye shadow palettes to lipsticks and contour kits, and nothing is more relaxing than lying in bed after a long day and watching tutorials from my favorite online beauty gurus.
Depending on the day and how much my winged eyeliner wants to cooperate, it takes me an average of 25 minutes to put my makeup on every day (yes, I’ve timed myself, don’t judge me). I say that number to a lot of people and, almost always, they look at me like I’m crazy. Why would I spend so much time just putting makeup on when I could sleep for an extra twenty minutes? What do I do that takes so long every single day? Why not just put on some mascara and call it a day? Or, everyone’s favorite, “You’re already pretty, you don’t need to put all that stuff on your face.”
I think that if you ask the people who wear “a lot” of makeup (in quotes because “a lot” is subjective), most will tell you the truth – that they wear all of the makeup that they do because they enjoy it, it makes them feel pretty, and it’s just fun. I spend so much time getting ready because I love that 25 minutes in the morning where I get to mini-pamper myself, and get to watch my face change in the subtle ways that make a huge difference. It’s fun to experiment with new techniques, try out new products, and play around with colors. If I didn’t enjoy putting on my makeup, odds are I would put on a lot less, or would rush through my routine. But I do enjoy it, and I can appreciate my bare face just as much as my made-up one.
When you tell someone they look prettier without makeup, they hear you telling them to stop being insecure. They hear the “this is why I take a bitch swimming on the first date jokes.” They hear that it doesn’t matter how they feel when they look in the mirror because your opinion is what matters. They hear you they have the right to judge what does or does not make them pretty, and that you also have the right to go around telling people to change their appearance because of your preferences.
And that’s where I call bullsh*t.
To all the people who tell someone they look pretty/prettier without makeup: stop, because I can guarantee you that your friend, or that girl on Instagram, or that beauty guru, does not care at all about your opinion. Your preference on what makes them beautiful, or your opinion on what “real beauty” is, is irrelevant. If a person feels their prettiest when they’re bare-faced, or when they’re perfectly contoured and highlighted, you don’t get to tell them that they don’t have the right to feel beautiful just because their decision about what to, or not to, put on their face makes you uncomfortable. Whenever I see someone in public with great lipstick, or killer liner, or perfect brows, I make a point to tell them how great their makeup looks because as someone who enjoys makeup and spends a lot of time on it every day, I know that it’s an art, and it deserves compliments.
So, the next time you want to tell someone they look prettier without makeup, do me a favor. Take a step back, appreciate the art that is their face, and tell them how bomb their liner is.
