BY: NADIA ZAIDI
I can almost hear the snarky remarks, and chuckles when we talk about women and makeup. Whether we want to admit it or not, makeup is one of those things that elicits amusement from the opposite sex. But it’s also just makeup.
I hate it when people assume that makeup makes a woman. Let me assure you that makeup is nothing without its canvas. But what really gets me is this trend of celebrities going makeup free in an effort to liberate themselves from the constructs of beauty.
Alicia Keys and Kim Kardashian are examples of female celebrities at the forefront of the “natural movement.” While that’s great and all, I just don’t see the complexity. And I certainly don’t understand the hype.
The no makeup hasthtag challenge isn’t as riveting as it aims to be. So you’re supposedly not wearing makeup, big whop. Can we get over the idea that a woman is bold, liberated, and in touch with her inner self only if she’s bare faced and still smiling?
I don’t think that I look as great as I do with a bit of makeup on. It’s a fact. Anything that potentially enhances our appearance will make us look better. But that’s not something to shame or ridicule. It’s certainly not something to blindly accept either.
I am not one of those women who shys away from makeup, and no, I don’t use it as a crutch for self worth either. I like to wear makeup because I feel more put together. Quite like the way a man styles his hair using gel. It’s not like he needs it. He wants it.
If I want to walk out of my house with a pile of makeup on it doesn’t mean that I’m feeling particularly unconfident or bad about myself. On the contrary, makeup garners more reaction. If you’re looking to blend into the crowd, or not get noticed, you’re better off not wearing loud colours. It takes as much confidence to rock a smokey eye as it does to walk out of your house without a single drop of makeup.
Is it really such a big deal, though?
I don’t know why we reduce our self worth to the use of a cosmetic. I think it’s extremely problematic of people to say that they feel like they are confident even without a drop of makeup on. To use makeup as a measure of self confidence almost reinforces its supposed power over women. It’s perhaps, what has fuelled cosmetic industries in the first place.
Wear it, or don’t. But your measure of self-confidence shouldn’t change either way, as self-love comes from within.
