If I travel back in time, I can present to you the fact that ever since the 15th century women were causing unease with the use of dun dun duuuun makeup. In the early 1400’s women were condemned for the use of any makeup. Wearing red lipstick was enough for husbands to divorce wives and as the centuries went on, by 1700 women wearing any makeup or other form of “seduction,” were seen as witches and could be punished for it. This. This is hilarious. I don’t really understand this whole, “Makeup is deception,” “Women only wear makeup to impress people,” and the ever present, irrelevant, “Makeup is for vain people,” thing.
Though the 21st century has opened numerous doors and supplied opportunities, make up is still seen as a form of deception. Makeup carries a different meaning to each and every one of its users and in all shapes and sizes. Recently I had a rather thought-provoking conversation with a friend of mine from home. We were sitting underneath the warm glow of the sun on one of those unprecedented warm winter days. I asked her why she enjoys makeup and how it makes her feel.
She responded calmly with, “Well, makeup makes me more confident, but I don’t feel like I need it, you know? It’s an art form to me like painting my face. I love the whole process of doing makeup, it’s just really fun.”
The general use of it is to enhance the facial structure you already have. That’s exactly what most artists do, but makeup is not just something that is used to “look pretty.” Some people think it makes them feel pretty, others put together, and some don’t care about the feeling on the outside but the art of it and how it completes them on the inside. I asked a girl who was sporting a fresh-face as she was walking by me her thoughts.
She said that makeup made her feel like a clown, so she opted out of wearing it. When I posed the same question to men, an overwhelming majority had never used makeup.
Fact: Makeup is an art
According to Bellus Academy, one of the United States of America’s number one beauty schools, “Makeup artists, much like painters and other traditional artists, create lines using dark colors and blending. They also use stark, hard lines to create stopping points for the eyes and for definition. You can see the use of lines in contouring of the face, as well as in eyeliner and lip liner.”
Makeup is an art that many people lack the understanding of, but while many lacks the knowledge, others lack the privilege. Those who often see makeup as a form of sinning or vanity, lack the privilege of understanding the power of makeup, and they lack the knowledge of being able to create a pure form of art. Makeup is seen as something of a diversion from reality; it’s an illusion. Since the original creation of these products, they have been used or design and costumes, everyday wear, etc.
Recent studies show that all genders prefer people with 30-40% less makeup than what is worn, but I say that makeup isn’t worn to solely attract a partner. Makeup is an art form and the point of wearing more products isn’t to move further away from the “natural beauty” we were born with, but to dig deeper into it and produce something equally as beautiful as a painting on a canvas.
BreAkiNg NEwS: If you wear any form of makeup, false hair, or high heels, you may risk being burned at the stake!
I just want to make it clear that makeup is art that should be more recognized. Are you going to look at sketch of a painting and say to the final product, “you deceived me”? You’re not, it’s weird. Please don’t look at someone wearing makeup, no matter what gender, what race, what background, and assume they’re insecure or being deceptive.
Chances are they don’t care enough to be any of those adjectives.