Have you ever been told, “You’d be so pretty without all that eyeliner?” How about, “You should try going natural?” Or even “You’d look great without all that crap on your face?”
Yes, these are all real things that I’ve heard. Some of which was directed at my friends, some were directed at me. I feel that if you wear make-up, you’ve been told at least once how great you would look without it. Believe me, I totally get it. The number of times I’ve been told to wear make-up this way or that way would surprise you. I’ve been told I’d be pretty if I did something different. As if what I look like defines who I am.
Let me take a second to say this isn’t an article about how important inner beauty is. Believe me, I think it is safe to say that we all know we are worth more for who we are and not what we look like. This is a piece about being you and deciding what YOU want, not what others tell you.
If this article so far doesn’t relate to you, I hate to tell you that you’re probably one of the ones that have said these things before. So, on behalf of everyone who wears makeup, it’s our face; please stop telling us what to do with it. You have no idea why people wear makeup or why they wear it a certain way. The person you just told to go “natural” might have lost what gave them confidence. That person you just told they’d be pretty if they did this, now thinks they’re ugly. It’s their face, their body, not yours. And for goodness sake, don’t ask the girl who took your advice and went natural if she’s sick. That’s just another way of saying: “Well crap, you look awful. Please go back to what you were doing before, at least it’s better than this.”
I’m not writing this to bash people who give their advice — sometimes it is quite helpful and people love hearing an opinion from someone they care about. But there is a different in giving an opinion and completely bashing someone. It’s their face, they have the final say.
So for everyone who wears makeup, you do you. Don’t let anyone tell you how to do something. Listening to advice is important. But at the end of the day, you need to do what you want and what makes you feel the best. Don’t let others dictate what you think about yourself. Be proud to be you, there is no one quite like you out there. What an amazing thing!
