Recently, I found myself scrolling through YouTube looking for a good makeup tutorial (since I’m really not good at putting together looks on my own) and I stumbled across a video called “The Power of Makeup” by NikkieTutorials.

The title alone intrigued me, so I decided to give it a view. In this video, Nikkie showed viewers just how powerful makeup is by only applying it to half of her face. As seen in the cover photo, the makeup makes a huge difference.

Honestly, I was just very impressed with how well she does her makeup! (By the way, this video has over 30 million views.)

I scrolled down to the comments on the video, and was completely taken back when I saw ones such as:

“Makeup makes you fake.”

“She looks ugly with and without it.”

“This is why I have trust issues.”

And the worst of all, “You look disgusting.”

These are just some of the examples of makeup shaming.

As someone who wears makeup and enjoys it, I was quite offended by the comments posted. Why do people say mean things? Why are people so rude? If anything is disgusting, it’s how disrespectful and cruel people are to one another.

As someone who loves to add their two cents to topics pertaining to things they love, here’s what I have to say in response to those who feel the need to judge and say things about, and have no idea what they’re talking about.

Makeup was created as a way to enhance the natural features of a person. The idea of makeup started out small, but has blown up into this huge thing. It all started with a few simple products, but now is comprised of thousands, distributed by hundreds of different companies all around the world.

Millions of people spend lots of time each day trying to perfect the art of makeup; how to get the perfect cat eye, how to put together colors to make the perfect smokey eye, etc. They spend thousands of dollars a year on makeup, trying to find the products they like the most, and work the best for them. They all do it for different reasons.

Loads of people like to assume that we wear makeup because we are insecure about ourselves. They assume it’s because we are trying to impress someone. They assume it’s because we do not love ourselves. I will be the first to tell you, some people do wear makeup for those reasons. For others, such as myself, that is not the case.

I wear makeup because it’s fun. I wear makeup because it gives me the freedom to express myself. Makeup is something I have spent the past six years trying to perfect.

Makeup is an art form that takes ample amounts of practice, patience, and time. I like to wear makeup because of the way it makes me look and feel.

“So does that mean you don’t like the way you look without it?”

No. I like the way I look with and without it, but wearing it is like a little boost.

It is the same as wearing a certain type of clothing because it may be a “boost” for you. It is the same as wearing your hair a certain way to make you feel a little more confident. Should people, including myself, be criticized for doing what makes us feel more confident? No.

I can guarantee you that if you were to walk out of your house wearing an outfit you just bought (and loved), and have someone tell you “that shirt hugs you the wrong way” or “that just doesn’t look good on you,” you would feel humiliated. You would be upset and probably feel self-conscious for the rest of the day.

Similarly, when I’m told that my “eye shadow doesn’t suit me” or “I wonder what would happen if I poured a bucket of water on your face” I feel the same way; I feel humiliated and dehumanized.

No one deserves to be shamed for what they decide to put on their bodies. If it is not your body, then it is not your business.

It isn’t just about makeup; it’s about everything in our lives. We all need to stop shaming one another for what they choose to wear, think, listen to, etc. We all have the freedom to say what we want, yes, but using your freedom of speech or opinion to tear another person down and hurt them is wrong.

If you wouldn’t want it said to you or about you, then don’t say it to or about another person. Everyone is different, and some people don’t have thick skin. Words do hurt some people.

So, if you wanna wear bright blue eye shadow with a ruby red lip: Do it.

If you wanna keep it simple and just wear a tad bit of mascara:Do it.

If you wanna go all out and wear a full face of makeup: Do it.

If you wanna go out and wear no makeup at all: Do it.

Do what makes you happy, and have fun with it. Don’t be afraid to try something new, and always remember to be yourself.

(Inspired by NikkieTutorials, I decided to perform my own version of #ThePowerofMakeup. Here are my #NoMakeupSelfies and #MakeupSelfies showing how powerful makeup is for me.)

This article was inspired by “The Power of Makeup” by NikkieTutorials.