Creativity can be expressed in many different forms, yet when people think of makeup, creativity is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, it is one of the truest forms of creative expression, not a commodity for women in our society. Makeup can be worn by anyone who wants to, for whatever reason they want.
As it is found all throughout history, ancient Egyptians would wear dark pigment around their eyes to protect them from the bright midday sun glaring off of dessert sands. Even Cleopatra wore her iconic eyeliner for protection purposes. It just so happened that it also made her (subjectively) more beautiful and allow her to further her own political agenda by consolidating Egypt’s power with Rome.
Arguably, since then, makeup has been used to enhance your own beauty so society deems you more valuable. Even with the current trend of the “no makeup makeup look,” we are using hundreds of dollars’ worth of products to make ourselves seem like we aren’t wearing any at all. God forbid we have a breakout or uneven eyebrows.
Buzzfeed posted a listicle about the 19 things you know if you only wear loads of makeup or none at all. Number three was how the “no-makeup makeup look” seems like more effort than it’s worth. Which could not be more true, for example, “how do you perfect the natural no makeup look?” Step one: you will need these 27 cosmetic products. Step two: spend 30 minutes blending your foundation with a pink sponge that costs $20 so your skin looks completely flawless. Why are we doing this? Does it make us feel better? Do we feel like we have to cake our faces to leave our house? What happens if someone see our uneven skin tone. Why would you want to put a bunch of makeup on just to look like you aren’t wearing any makeup, honestly what is the fucking point?
Creating a glitter cut crease with perfectly matching wings takes skill. Blending out bronzer to create chiseled cheekbones takes skill. One wrong brush stroke and you could end up looking like a tiger instead of Angelina Jolie. Applying false lashes is nearly impossible, and you guessed it, takes skill. There are endless combinations and eye looks you can create with just one palette. Looking at 12 or more different colors and coming up with a new look is straight up art and takes creativity and skill.
Women are spending hundreds of dollars on their lipstick collection but only wear it on occasion because society says purple lipstick isn’t professional. What is the point of buying it if you can’t wear it when you want? Who cares what society says, if you want to wear your purple lipstick, rock that purple lipstick.
Obviously, women don’t naturally have glitter on their eyelids. We wake up earlier than necessary every day to put our face on, because that is what we are told to do in order to be beautiful and successful. Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with putting on a lot of makeup or none at all. Just make sure whatever you chose to do, you are doing it for yourself. If you feel more confident wearing makeup, put it on and own it. Want to hit snooze a couple more times? Sleep in and skip it that day. Don’t waste your time (or products) putting it one for someone who can’ tell the difference between Champagne Pop and Hu$tla Baby.
Makeup is an art form and should be treated like one. Makeup artists are called professionals for a reason.