Makeup-less

I watched this video a little over a month ago.

I thought it was a great concept and absolutely loved the whole thing,

but the thing that stuck with me the most is the mom that trying to convince her daughter to wear makeup.

If you don't know, I rarely wear makeup.

It's been something I've been wanting to write about for a while.

Through most of middle school and high school, I rarely wore makeup.

I never saw the need to.

Makeup was something for special occasions or on those days I felt like playing dress up.

Not for everyday use.

I didn't think it was weird that I chose not to wear it, 

and I didn't think it was weird that other girls chose to wear it.

But then by Junior and Senior year of high school, other people girls really started to notice.

They asked to put makeup on me, treating me like a doll.

I didn't mind, as I said makeup = dress up in my mind,

but to them it was something more.

They insisted that to get boys to notice me I had to wear it.

"If you add concealer, any skin imperfections can be hidden.

If you add base, suddenly your skin looks smooth and even,

but that looks unnatural, so lets add blush and bronzer to add back life into your face.

Lips more pink, eyelashes darker, eye shadow to make your eyes look brighter,

and tada! Now you look pretty."

They told me I looked so much pretty with it on,

but the thing is I knew better.

Since 7th grade, my best friends had been guys.

I knew most boys didn't care.

Out of all the years of being friends with guys, only one guy has ever admitted that he likes a little bit of makeup for everyday wear better than none.

Many of the others would remind me that I didn't have to wear it or would tell me they didn't like it when I wore it.

Those girls weren't just wearing it for the guys they liked,

they wore it for everyone, even themselves.

It was like only once they put on the layers of makeup,

they were finally someone that they could stand to be to the outside world.

I always thought the "goths" and "emo" kids were bit more authentic than most people.

Many of my friends in those cliques would admit that their makeup was big way they expressed their identity.

They would express how they were feeling through how they looked.

But when you apply that to more "normal" girls,

the look isn't "emo" or "goth" anymore...it's perfection.

 "Now you look pretty!"

Pretty? I think I looked pretty before.

The word I think that fits it better is "perfect."

Makeup put on correctly can take out many physical imperfections.

"Perfect" and "flawless" were the adjectives they were looking for.

It's the identity that they were striving for.

Now, I actually I don't have a problem with wanting to look flawless.

It can be empowering and fun.

The thing that sadden me most was when some of my friends were ashamed to be seen with out that mask of makeup.

Their own face wasn't good enough anymore.

It was embarrassing and shameful for their own bare faces to be seen.

They can't stand to see the flaws that make them unique 

and are horrified at the thought that someone else will see them as anything other than flawless.

My heart breaks a little at that thought.

This idea of perfection keeps them from loving themselves.

It feeds right into fat talk and self deprivation.

It takes away confidence and vulnerability.

That's what struck me about the video in the beginning of this blog post. 

If you compare the teenage girl's attitude about herself v. her mother's view of herself,

there are some huge differences.

I challenge you to watch it again and listen more carefully.

I don't wear makeup because I like who I am.

Why do you wear it?

Let me know if you have any comments or thoughts,

it's been something that has been on my mind for a while.