Makeup is something that has been all over the world for hundreds of years. When it was first introduced, the main use of cosmetics was to accentuate one’s features and make oneself look more attractive. Trends and habits have come and gone with the time, but that main idea remains the same. Currently in the United States, makeup is one of the most controversial non-political topics about which everyone seems to have an opinion. Some people believe that women wear makeup to impress men, while most women who wear makeup do it solely to make themselves feel more confident. I have found that most college students believe that makeup is genderless and should be used freely to express oneself and feel more comfortable in one’s own skin. Others do not believe that makeup is needed but respect that wearing it is a personal choice.
One of the most popular opinions that I came across while interviewing college men and women about makeup and cosmetics is that while using makeup is a great way to accentuate your looks and boost your self-esteem, nobody needs makeup to be considered beautiful. One student, 20, described makeup as an art. She believes that it can be recreational and help express one’s creativity, and also be used to help empower women and men. She and many other students expressed that they do not believe the use of makeup makes someone beautiful. A different student, 18, brought up the point that makeup cannot make someone beautiful because it does not define who they are. She explained, “Someone could have a pretty face with makeup on and have an awful personality that ultimately makes them ugly.” A less popular opinion that I came across was the idea that makeup is a negative thing and does not have a real need in today’s society. The student that expressed these beliefs, 22, said that natural beauty is the best kind of beauty, and that people should learn to be comfortable in their own skin before beginning to use makeup. He also expressed that while wearing makeup is a personal choice that only you can make for yourself, makeup should not be used as a “crutch” to feel beautiful. He believes that all people are created with unique and beautiful features that they should not feel the need to change.
During the interviews, I have found that the use of makeup has not really strayed too much from its original use. Most people stated that they use makeup in order to highlight the things they like about their features and somewhat camouflage the ones that they do not. The final conclusion that most people I spoke to agreed upon was that makeup is a great way to express yourself and to help one feel beautiful. Makeup is worn to help people feel more comfortable in their own skin or to feel more confident in walking around every day. However, wearing makeup or not wearing makeup does not define one’s beauty, and nobody needs to change or add anything to their faces to be beautiful.