In my own humble opinion, makeup is fantastic form of self-expression. Some of us like to keep it simple, and others (like me) constantly incorporate bright bursts of color. Unfortunately for those of us who wear it, boys tend to not have a clue when it comes to makeup. Aside from barely knowing the difference between eyeshadow and eyeliner, they often find our makeup habits to be downright strange. For those of you who are still struggling to explain your beauty habits to a makeup-illiterate friend, I’ve compiled a list of the things they find most baffling.
1. No Makeup vs. Natural Makeup
This is probably the number one misunderstanding that boys have about makeup: They don’t understand the difference between the “no makeup” makeup look and actually not wearing any makeup. The no makeup look just looks like you’re not wearing any makeup — really, it requires primer, concealer, foundation, powder, and maybe some bronzer or mascara. It may appear that you’re not wearing makeup since there’s no obvious eyeshadow or lip color, but really, you spent twenty minutes applying skin products. The no makeup look should not be confused with actually not wearing any makeup, also known as what you look like upon first waking up. Girls aren’t perfect — we have redness and dark circles and pimples. But since we have makeup as a tool to cover these imperfections up, sometimes people can get confused.
2. Nail Art
Boys can hardly understand the point of nail polish, let alone nail art. Really, nail art is a trend that even some girls don’t understand. My roommate once asked, “What’s the point of putting so much effort into something that’s only going to last like three days?” I mean I guess she has a point, but nail art (to me and other nail junkies) is fun! I also find painting my nails to be a great stress reliever. And at Carnegie Mellon, I’ll take all the stress relief I can get.
3. “Unnatural” Lip Color
I once read that men found red lips attractive because it signals fertility. Of course, that could be all lies. Either way, boys tend to think that any lip color that strays too far from a “natural” lip color is weird. Generally, nudes, pinks, berries, and reds are okay. But once you start sporting purple, orange, or (if you’re particularly daring) blue lips, boys tend to think it’s weird. But unless you’re trying to show off how fertile you are, I say wear all the lip colors.
4. Colorful Eyeshadow
Boys have a problem with colorful eyeshadow for the same reason they don’t like orange lipstick — it looks “unnatural.” That, or they just don’t understand the point of coloring your eyelids blue or green or black. Personally, I love bright colors, and eyeshadow is a fun way to add some more color to my day. When I first started wearing colorful eyeshadow, my boyfriend actually told me it was too much. Of course, I refused to stop wearing bright makeup, and now he has actually told me that he misses seeing my eclectic makeup when we’re apart. So even if your friends don’t necessarily understand why you insist on buying another shade of purple eyeshadow, your makeup style will eventually grow on them.
5. Eyelash Curlers
The problem with eyelash curlers is that they just look painful. For something that accomplishes the relatively simple task of curling your eyelashes, eyelash curlers have the appearance of some macabre medical tool. Anyone who doesn’t understand what they do or how they work could easily be intimidated and confused by their appearance. Have your friend try an eyelash curler out — once they understand that it’s not some sort of torture device, they’ll be less likely to see it as strange.
6. Primer
Primers come in many forms these days: eyeshadow, mascara, face, even lip. Most of these go on invisibly (save for the white mascara primer) which makes it very hard for non-makeup users to understand: What’s the point of putting something invisible on? In this case, you’ll just have to explain that primers make makeup stay on longer. You can pull up some before-and-after type pictures that some makeup brands display to show the benefits of a product. It’s possible that your friend still won’t get it, but at least you’ll have tried.
7. Expensive vs. Cheap Makeup
My boyfriend once saw my receipt from a recent Sephora purchase and absolutely balked at the prices of the makeup. Fourteen dollars for one eyeliner? Sure, it seems expensive, but if you compare it to that cheap $2 eyeliner that you can buy at a drugstore, suddenly the $14 price tag seems justified. Generally, expensive makeup outperforms their lower priced counterparts (I suggest reading reviews by makeup blogs before you buy anything so you can make sure your money isn’t being wasted). This is something I really doubt you’ll be able to sell a guy on; it’s just very hard to justify spending $50 on an eyeshadow palette to a boy with little knowledge of makeup. But as long as you know that you’re getting a better quality product, who cares? It’s your money, anyway.
8. Fake Eyelashes
Fake eyelashes can range from demure to wild. Some even have multi-colored feathers! It’s usually the fake eyelashes that fall on the crazier end of the spectrum that tend to confuse people. But I think that’s partly due to the fact that they may not even realize you’re wearing fake eyelashes if they’re a tamer pair. Either way, boys seem skeptical of anything you have to literally glue onto your lash lines. Crazier eyelashes are generally used in conjunction with a costume, so you can justify their use that way. As for more everyday wear of fake eyelashes, it’s really no different than mascara. You’re just trying to fake longer lashes!
Remember, makeup is a form of self expression. If you like wearing bright purple lipstick, then do it! Don’t let anyone’s judgment discourage you from wearing what you want. And if that boy you have a crush on think it’s weird, so what? Eventually, he’ll come to see it as another thing that makes you, you. And if he doesn’t, oh well! Who wants to date someone who doesn’t appreciate your awesome nail art skills, anyway?