It doesn't matter if you're a beauty guru or a beginner, if you like makeup you've probably heard this line before: "Oh but you don't NEED makeup! You're pretty without it!" Yeah well, nobody needs designer purses. Nobody needs the newest technology. But we still get them, because we enjoy them, right? So what's the difference with makeup?
First of all, I do it because I enjoy it. Do you really think I spend two hours in the morning pounding my face with a tiny sponge and gluing fake hairs onto my eyes for your comfort? Sorry, that's not the case. I do it because it brings me joy, and after I apply a full face of makeup I feel like I'm ready to take on the day.
Second of all, I don't feel like I need it. I don't feel any less confident without it. One day I could go out with my hair in a rats nest on my head and sweatpants I slept in without a touch of makeup, and another day I could go out with my face caked on and my hair done and six-inch heels. And you know what? My confidence is still exploding on both of those days. I don't do makeup because I feel like I look prettier with it. I don't do it to get a boy's attention. I do it because I enjoy it.
Lastly, I am good at it. It took me a lot of practicing to get to this point, but after a couple years I think its safe to stay I've developed a skill. Don't get me wrong, we all go through the orange un-matching face and bright blue eye-shadow, but I've learned from my mistakes. It may not be on paper, but the art I create on my face with a brush is still art. Makeup uses a lot of blending with colors and pairing colors together to accent things or cover things. Of course I'm going to do something I'm good at. You wouldn't expect a basketball player to create a full-course five star restaurant meal, you expect him to pursue what he is proficient in.
Next time you see a girl with some sparkling eye shadow and eyelashes that could blow you away, don't tell her "how pretty she would look without it", tell her you love what she did with the glitter, or tell her you love how she arched her eyebrows. Odds are you will flatter her and make her day a little better, rather than annoy her with the same remark she's heard a thousand times.
