Starting from the age of three, I have loved makeup. Of course, my mom didn’t actually let me wear any at such a young age. But that never stopped me from sneaking into her makeup drawer and drawing all over my face with the reddest shade of lipstick that I could find. Needless to say, I’ve improved my makeup skills quite a bit since then. 17 years later, my mom and I constantly share cool tricks from tutorials that we’ve seen and makeup shopping has basically become one of our hobbies. As someone who enjoys makeup so much, I can’t help but notice just how much society likes to shame women for wearing too much makeup—and for not wearing enough.
As someone who loves trying all kinds of new makeup trends like bright lipsticks, it’s not uncommon for me to hear comments like, “Wow! Who are you trying to impress?!” The answer will always be no one. When I wake up early to do my makeup, it’s for no one else but me. I find it to be fun and relaxing. Contrary to the misconceptions about those who wear makeup, I don’t wear it to cover up so-called “flaws” to conform to society’s unrealistic expectations for beauty. I’ve always liked my eyes and enjoy finding creative new ways to play them up. And millions of other women also love confidently accentuating their own unique features.
The ironic thing is, though, that women are often looked down on just as much for choosing not to wear makeup. I’m not someone who’s easily offended, but I get so disappointed when I hear the “take her swimming on the first date” joke from our generation. Although I love wearing makeup and wear it most days, I don’t believe for one second that I’m any less without it. Women who choose not to wear any makeup should be able to know that they’re beautiful, too. True beauty will never be about having the perfect contour or sharply winged eyeliner.
Society perpetuates these negative perceptions into a degrading catch-22 that is harmful for overall body image. This past week, I was watching makeup artist Stephanie Lange do amazing tutorials when I came across a video in which she addressed this topic. She posted a picture before completing her makeup look and after. Soon after, she received tons of negative comments saying that she hides the fact that she’s “ugly.” These comments were nothing short of heartbreaking and I couldn’t believe that this was the way people chose to define her. I see her as an amazing woman who is incredibly brave for putting her talents out there for people to see. Luckily, she refuses to let others dictate the way she views herself. But we can’t forget that negative comments like this can have detrimental effects on anyone who sees them.
According to a study conducted by Dove, 75 percent of women reported that their self-esteem is lowered by negative social media comments about physical appearance. And in a society that uses social media so often, we often encounter comments about the way people look. But that doesn’t mean that social media can’t have also have a positive impact on body image.
Recently, #ThePowerofMakeup has been taking social media by storm. Women have been applying makeup to half of their face, while leaving the other side bare. The Power of Makeup was created to help fight back against makeup shaming and has empowered thousands of women to post pictures, showing off their beauty—with and without makeup. This movement is truly inspirational and has encouraged self-love and acceptance. Hopefully the fight against body shaming will continue and more women will feel beautiful regardless of whether or not they have makeup on.
What we all need to remember is that true beauty can never be defined by something as trivial as makeup. Regardless of your cosmetic preferences, you’re still you. If you want to wear red lipstick and lashes every day, you’re beautiful. If you never wear any makeup and prefer a natural, fresh-faced look, you’re beautiful. Don’t ever let anyone convince you that there is anything wrong with your own personal preferences.
