The Power of Makeup, a video released four years ago on YouTube by beauty guru NikkieTutorials, had inspired me when I was younger. In the video she talks about how people have commented that she looks completely different with a full face of makeup on. Nikkie points out that she is still herself whether she is barefaced or full glam. The message in her video was incredibly powerful and many beauty gurus made similar videos because they were inspired by NikkieTutorials.
For those that know me, the fact that I love cosmetics is common knowledge. I take part in the theatre club as a hair and makeup staff member because I enjoy playing around with makeup. Not trying to brag, but I’ve actually never been to class barefaced since my first day at university. Makeup is something that I am passionate about, but it wasn’t always this way.
Makeup can be quite controversial. Some people believe that it’s something to hide one’s insecurities while others believe it’s something to enhance your features. It’s kind of like whether you think a cup is half empty or half full. For me, I used to think that makeup was to hide my imperfections but now I believe makeup is a form of art that has the power to make someone confident.
Let me take you guys back to when I was in middle school so I can take you through my journey with makeup. Back then, I had severe acne problems. It slowly started in fifth grade when I was eleven years old, but it became a huge issue when I started middle school. I transferred into a Japanese school from an international school and that’s when I had a rude awakening from puberty and different beauty standards. I was never really insecure about anything, but puberty and the cultural difference between the international school and Japanese school environments hit me hard.
Ever since I realized how different my skin was from others and that the fight with acne was going to be a long battle, I started to hate taking pictures and looking at mirrors. I hated how oily I was compared to others. I was jealous of how perfect everyone else was. This continued throughout middle school until I discovered beauty gurus on YouTube.
I was honestly never interested in makeup before, but there was something so satisfying about watching other people doing creative things to their face. After a few months of watching others I started to buy my own makeup. The challenge of buying things in Japan was that the cosmetics area in drugstores didn’t have the same products as the stores in the US that beauty gurus would use. So, although I was watching these tutorials, I would randomly buy things that were interesting and would try them on in my own way.
However, I was disappointed because I didn’t look as flawless as the women and men I saw on YouTube. My skin was not as smooth and the foundation I bought without any thought made me look cakey. Interestingly, instead of loathing myself, this situation made me interested in skin care and figuring out what kind of cosmetic products would work for me.
Throughout high school I started to pay more attention to my face and acne issue. I went to the dermatologist for advice, and though I don’t know if it helped, my acne started to get better after facing the issue head on.
As I started college, I began to really look into the products that I put on my face. I chose items that would enhance features and rather than concealing them.
I think the power makeup had on me was that it made me conscious of my face and the products I used. I still don’t have the perfect skin, but I don’t hide it. I work with it and let it show, because everyone has imperfections.
I do have days where I feel insecure, but makeup helps me feel better and motivated to work on the issues regarding my skin.