A few months ago, I was reading Cosmopolitan Magazine and my eyes were pulled to a headline of an article that spoke about a new kind of model who would be representing Covergirl Makeup. Intrigued, I started to read the article and learned about James Charles, a 17-year-old boy who was named the first-ever male ambassador for their company. Alongside the article, there was a picture of him wearing thick, dark mascara and rose-red lipstick. I was automatically filled with a sense of pride that I owned products from a company that supported such a new and accepting ideal. However, my excitement was put on hold when I researched him and read multiple comments about Charles and his individual expression. Sadly, I wasn't shocked to read comments that were along the lines of, "women should only be able to identify with makeup, not men," as well as, "now we'll have to change the name from CoverGirl to CoverPerson....how shameful for a company that is supposed to be promoting women." Filled with disappointment, I couldn't understand why so many people felt such feelings.

The idea of self-expression is something that nowadays society has a hard time accepting. However, today's society has improved a significant amount throughout the last decade or so. More people have started to feel comfortable with wearing their hair in more unique styles, getting piercings and tattoos representing their character, and wearing older fashion trends. However, society has yet to completely accept people to be who they truly are, while prohibiting them from doing so with their degrading and oftentimes, offensive remarks and actions.

People need to understand that it is a misconception that people wear makeup in order to impress others. I wear some sort of makeup almost daily, whether it is both top and bottom eyeliner or even just a light shade of lipgloss. However, since the day I purchased my first makeup brush, I have not been wearing makeup for other's satisfaction; I have been wearing it for my own liking. I am not insecure without makeup, but I genuinely feel more confident when I do wear it and I have no shame in saying that because there is nothing pitiful in doing so. In my eyes, I believe that people should have the ability to express themselves however they wish, not just by what they decide to apply onto their face, but also by their hairstyle and their sense of fashion. Additionally, I believe that wearing makeup should not be limited to those who identify themselves as female, since self-expression is valued by the people who truly want to know you for who you are, and not the way you decide to present yourself.