Why I wear makeup
I remember in middle school when I would have to put on my glittery eyeshadow and mascara in the girls’ bathroom at school because my mom didn’t want me wearing makeup yet. To a twelve-year-old, makeup is something you wear when you are mature. You dive into the cosmetic world tiptoeing out of the shallow end, pacing yourself, so you don’t drown. I feel comfortable in saying that as a twelve and thirteen years old I knew nothing and did not understand makeup and my relationship with it. I spent all of my teenage years, experimenting, failing and then learning about the practice. I feel like I can talk about the subject in a different way now than ten years ago. Even though I have always worn makeup throughout the last decade, my attitude towards it has changed.
Compared to other people, I feel clueless when it comes to makeup. Every time I think I know what I am doing, I hear about a new trend that I have no idea how to do. In the past couple years, I have become more curious about the makeup tutorials on YouTube and the aisles in Sephora. It helps that I can now afford some of these products, so it seems more realistic that I could do these looks. Since I have started wearing makeup, I have a daily routine where I sometimes add and experiment with other products and techniques. If I like it, I will include it in my routine. This is how my makeup look has evolved.
I find it interesting to compare how my makeup routine has changed to how I have grown. As an early teen, I started with very subtle makeup because I didn’t want to look like a clown. That was at a time in my life when I didn’t feel comfortable being bold and felt insecure about getting involved. I used clear, glitter eyeshadow and mascara for my eyes and clear lipgloss for my lips. When I became a cheerleader, we had to wear makeup for competitions and games. I started to feel comfortable using more product while at the same time feeling more comfortable putting myself out there. On my eyes, I used multicolor eyeshadow and eyeliner. I started experimenting with different concealers and bronzers. During this time, I felt unique and sure of myself. When I got to college, I still felt unique, but I started to question myself and how I compared to my peers. During this time, I still kept a bold eye look, but I simplified the rest of my makeup by just using concealer and foundation on a regular basis. Using products like bronzer and blush felt like I was overdoing it. Once I graduated, I started upgrading my drugstore brand makeup to more sophisticated brands. Overall, my look became more professional as I was settling into my first full-time job. I finally stopped wear purple eyeshadow on a daily basis not because it seemed too young or too bold, but I simply found other looks that I preferred. When I started feeling bored with my life and wanting a change, I found myself changing my makeup routine and experimenting with contouring and other natural looks for enhancing my professional and social look.
I have rocked the “no makeup” look ever so often since I started wearing makeup. In high school and college, it was usually during finals. Now, I resist putting on makeup if I am just staying home for the day or just running errands. To me, deciding not to wear makeup is just as empowering as deciding to wear makeup. I do not see makeup as coverup or armor or even a necessity anymore. Instead of thinking I want to look my best, so I’m wearing makeup; I think, I want to look a certain way, so I’m wearing makeup. There are times when I feel like I am exposing myself while wearing certain makeup that is different from my normal routine. I feel like I am making a statement and expressing a part of myself that I don’t normal show. The “no makeup” look can be empowering, but what makes it empowering is the idea of looking how you want to look and not letting anyone else make you feel bad for doing so.
I see makeup as an art, and art is constantly changing and evolving. It is subjective, and there are several forms of it that people can appreciate. As an artist or a general makeup consumer, I am growing and learning as the art changes and evolves. Putting on makeup has become a part of my morning routine. It is calming and a time when I can relax about everything else going on in my world and just focus on my face and what I am doing at that moment. I also feel that once I have put on my makeup that I am focused and ready for the day and whatever it brings.
