This is me. (No not her. I’m over on the right. Yup. Hi!)
I’m sitting at my desk at work – makeup-less, unfiltered, unedited, just me. To be honest, I always feel a bit disingenuous when I post a lot of photos or videos with makeup on as the cold hard truth is I only wear it when I’m going to be shooting.
99% of my life, I’m bare-faced for everything: work, dates events etc. And often in videos I’m only wearing lipstick. I never developed the “habit” of makeup. And I’m honestly torn on if that has helped my self confidence or if I’m missing out on an empowering aspect of being a woman.
My mom died before style became a real part of my life and most of my high school and college friends didn’t make a big deal of whether they did or not. (They rock.)
I have been lucky to have been surrounded by women in my career who have only been complimentary to any fashion or style choices or lack thereof, and have never been put down or made to feel unprofessional for not painting my face daily.
But part of me feels like I might be missing out. Is makeup an armor or a tool that could help me feel more powerful and productive? Or could it be a waste of time, energy and money that I would end up feeling trapped by? (All the empathy in the world to every girl who has ever skipped makeup one day and then told she looked sick — BIG fear of mine)
Is spending time putting fancy dirt on your face self care or narcissism? Feminist or hubris? Silly to even think about when there are so many problems in the world? Probably that last, yes.
Could I be taken more seriously at work or possibly advance faster if I spent more time on my appearance? Or should I fight against that by doing good work and not prescribing to conventional female beauty standards? Is that a battle that even exists anymore? Is there anything to fight?
There are also some ethical problems with many makeup brands and elements. Mica, a type of shiny dirt used in nearly all powder products, is mined primarily by children in horrible conditions. It is almost impossible to be sure that your products were made by people earning a fair wage, and brands that promise that are often priced out of a normal person’s budget.
I have friends who put on makeup daily and consider it “me time” – 10 minutes that helps them feel prepared and confident going into their days. Others, like me, generally sleep in until the last minute and blow out of the door like a hurricane.
With the existence of YouTube, (and being 31) I can no longer hide behind the excuse that no one taught me to do makeup – anyone with an internet connection and the interest can figure the basics out. Also now that I’m debt free, I can’t use the cost excuse – I can easily afford a little makeup (drugstore brands, calm down 🙂 )
But I still fight myself. I do fine at work and in life without makeup. I’m not ashamed of my face. I don’t feel like I need to hide. But what if investing that time and energy into the ritual of makeup could make me a better version of myself?
What do you think? And how do you feel about makeup? Does it empower you or are you more you without it? I’d honestly love your thoughts and to hear your experiences.
<3 BG
10 comments
I like wearing makeup, even though I’m still not very good at applying it and most days I don’t even bother. When I do wear it, though, I get an extra happy boost when I see my reflection haha. Most of the time I use ColourPop; it’s inexpensive and good quality.
I’m a redhead and have very pale eyelashes and brows. I’ve spent most of my adult life (37yo) wearing mascara so that my eyes have some definition. However I was recently ill for 2 weeks and have chosen to forgo makeup since. It is empowering to realize that I am enough without it. Plus I can always change my mind or use it for an occasion/photos.
Most of the time I dont was wear make because I work in a hot factory 5-7 days a week and because you know #momlife. But I know when I do wear even if it’s just a little bit it makes me feel 100x more confident than I do without. To be honest if I didn’t work so much or if I worked somewhere else I’d wear it way more
I absolutely love makeup, and think it’s worth paying a little more for the nicer quality/responsibly made products. For me, it’s not just about self-care or “me time” but also about self-expression. I think everyone is most beautiful when they’re doing what feels right to them and is authentic to who they are (whether that means using makeup or skipping it!). 🙂
i found your blog through the non consumer advocate…hi 🙂
i wear makeup daily but have mixed feelings about it. i absolutely think every woman should do what makes her comfortable…makeup or no makeup. there were several years when i was in a funk and didn’t wear any (after previously wearing it daily.) then after awhile i started dealing with the funk i was in and began to wear makeup again and *for me* it felt like self care. i just felt better and more polished wearing it. also i am a perfume lover and i’d give up makeup any day to wear perfume everyday but prefer to do both. i also notice i feel better when i have my nails painted. i strongly believe that variety is the spice of life and that everyone should do what they want as long as they hurt no one (this includes men wearing makeup and dresses, etc. and women doing none of that.) but for me, i just feel better with it…it’s like self care for me. but it is also expensive and time consuming and i totally understand that view as well. also, i have always been drawn more to non-mainstream makeup as a more artistic thing, and not really as a ‘beautifying’ thing, so my view may be different than the average person.
Hi, I am a 51 year old that may wear make up 2-3 times a year for a special occasion. I have always used really good skin care products which I credit with the ability to look younger than my years without all the makeup!
🙂
One weekend I met my co-worker in the street. She was without makeup (and usually she wears it daily). OMG she looked 5 years younger!! I was shocked! I think hard (or unprofessional) makeup adds to your age. I use only mascara but on a daily basis. I think it makes my eyes more beautiful. Mascara and lip bulm are everything I have in this house in makeup category. Feel good anyway.
I’ve never been a big makeup wearer. I always felt I looked over done when wearing makeup. Now looking back I realize I don’t like to bring a lot of attention to myself but I have not aged well! I’m 55 and I need lots of moisturizer and think I should have at least done more of that in my younger years.
I’ve never been a big makeup wearer. I always felt I looked over done when wearing makeup. Now looking back I realize I don’t like to bring a lot of attention to myself but I have not aged well! I’m 55 and I need lots of moisturizer and think I should have at least done more of that in my younger years.
I was recently invited to a Mary Kay party last week. I’m not a big makeup person. I own a lot of makeup though. 2 makeup bags full of makeup did I really don’t use. Sometimes I will wear mascara and sometimes I’ll add a light tinted Foundation. I don’t think I need to wear makeup to have self confidence. I do think it makes me feel better in terms of I put some makeup on and just have some me time. It’s fun! Is it necessary? No! I love dressing up and putting some makeup on. Currently I’m learning how to do a full face or at least a no makeup makeup look.