Following the rules isn’t always so bad, especially when it comes to beauty. No one wants to have crooked eyeliner or wear a foundation two shades too light, but many of the beauty rules we’ve heard time and time again are more restrictive than helpful and often close-minded or downright offensive. Having the freedom to present yourself to the world in any way you want is the best part of exploring your personal beauty, so it’s more important to embrace whatever look you love the most than to stick with these outdated rules.
1. “Are You a Summer or a Winter?”
Coordinating makeup with skin and hair color has been around as early as the 1800s, but many people today still use the four season color scheme that rose to popularity in the 1970s. While it’s a good place to start when figuring out what colors complement you more than others, you don’t have to live by your season 24/7. In fact, you’ll probably find most of the color spectrum looks fine on your face one way or another- a purposeful “clashing” of colors can even turn into its own edgy look!
2. “Bright Colors are Slutty/Trashy”
Some seem to think that the color of your eyeshadow indicates something about your behavior or sexual activity, but of course that’s not true. You know yourself better than anyone else, so if you like your makeup loud, wear it proud! Bright or unusual colors don’t even have to be overwhelming; well-placed neon eyeliner or a bold lip with a relatively bare face strikes a comfortable but fun balance.
3. “Curly Hair Isn’t Appropriate for the Workplace”
The arguement is that curly hair is too distracting or messy for a professional office environment, but how often do the hairs on someone’s head actually lower job performance? You might not be able to fight your boss on this one, but don’t believe it yourself and, when you can, wear your hair with whatever texture you like.
4. “Your Hair Can’t be That Color”
Platinum blonde on naturally dark hair? It’s difficult, but with enough bleach it’s doable. How about bubblegum pink, aquamarine or firey red dye? Some say unnatural colors look childish, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What about intentionally dark roots? It could be a sign of laziness, or it could be that you’re too busy living an exciting life to stop by a salon every few weeks. At the end of the day, hair is just hair, so take the opportunity to experiment- it’ll always grow back!
5. “You Can’t Pull Off a Red Lip”
No one’s skin is too dark, no one’s lips are too thin or big and no one’s hair is too red already to rock red lipstick. One of the biggest problems with trying a red lip is that it makes your face look so different that many people try it once, don’t like what they see in the mirror, and swear off red lipstick forever. This is a mental problem more than a clashing colors issue, so wear a red lip for a few hours, just alone at home if you’d like, and the longer it’s on the better it’ll look.
6. “You Can’t Have Hair There”
Hygiene is one thing, but removing body hair that you honestly don’t mind is another. Wax or leave alone any part of your body you’d like, but most people probably don’t even notice the little hairs (knuckles, toes, that space between your eyebrows, etc.) you might find embarrassing.
7. “Short Hair Isn’t Feminine- Leave it to the Boys”
If Audrey Hepburn can do it then so can you.