Every morning I wake up hours before class just to do my make-up. Some people may see it as irrational, but it has helped me gain the confidence to walk out into the world each morning. There was a time where I didn’t spend the entire morning "painting my face." In middle school, I wore very little make-up, and even some days I went without, but it’s what happened on those make-up-less days that made me change.
“Are you feeling okay? You look kind of tired," is something I heard way too often from my peers on those bare-faced days. It made me feel so bad about the way I had portrayed myself, as if I wasn’t trying. This kept me from talking to others in fear that they would give me the same judging remarks that I had heard a countless amount of times before.
In attempt to prevent this, I began intensifying my make-up routine. I slathered on my blush and bronzer in all the wrong places, and wrapped my eyes in chalky black eyeliner. I thought it looked decent, and it was better than having people question me as to why I look so tired. That is until one day, someone made a comment that hurt me so badly it has stayed with me since. This kid walked up to me and said, “Hey Mindy, want to hear a joke.” Deciding to just go along with it, I agreed to listen. “Make-up is the make-up for the beauty you don’t have.” Everyone laughed, while I released a smirk to conceal the pain that was slowly attacking my insides. I faked sick later that day. Every time I rounded the corner and saw the people laughing at me, I wanted to break down and cry.
After this horrible event, I continued to wear makeup in the beginning of my high school years, and I felt like I needed to wear it. I wouldn’t go anywhere without my makeup and this honestly made me hate myself. Every morning, I would wake up and look in the mirror; wishing that my make up would just do itself. It was more of a chore than anything else. Going to school made me feel worst, for the fact that almost none of the girls in my class wore make-up. I learned to hate the word "ugly" because it was exactly how I felt.
This continues until one day, sitting on my computer I discovered a winged eyeliner tutorial. I watched it multiple times; in awe at how the wing was so pointed and flawless. I had always been fascinated with art, and was part of the art gifted and talented students in my high school. When the tutorial ended (after the 20th replay) I tried the look, and it just sort of stuck. Watching make up tutorials was then and still is one of my favorite pastimes. I learned to look at make-up as artwork. Some people describe make-up, as I had mentioned before, as “painting your face.” I learned to see it like this as well, because a painting is art, and so are you. I didn’t dread doing my make-up in the morning anymore. Instead, I looked forward to it and over the years, my routine has gotten longer, and my technique has been perfected.
Everyday, women who wear make-up are put down and judged by both women and men. A great amount of guys say that they don’t like girls who wear make-up, and a great amount of girls judge people on how they wear their make-up. However, I find it fantastic that many girls are confident enough to go out without any help. Unfortunately, most girls who do wear make-up wear it for the reasons that I used to. It’s just plain disrespectful and wrong to degrade these women for doing something that society makes them feel like they have to do. Some think this isn’t a problem, however when the most common joke about first dates is to “take the girl swimming,” so that all her make up runs off, there is a problem. It’s this kind of thinking that can make a girl self-conscious.
This message is directed toward all the girls out there who are ashamed to wear make-up; don’t be. When you wipe off your make-up before bed and see your naked face, smile because you just cleaned off a new canvas for tomorrow. Learn to love the shape of your face, and the depth to your cheekbones, for they will dictate how you contour. Learn to love your eye color, even if it’s a dull gray like mine, because they shine bright against a jet black winged liner. Soon doing your make-up will no longer be a job, but more like a therapy session. You’ll learn your best colors and shades, and you will own them like they were created just for you.
Oh, and by the way, take us swimming on the first date. Do you guys understand how effective setting spray is nowadays?
