Come as you are

Exhausted and depleted by the constant differing expectations of women in society? Tired of being told what is expected of women by men, and worse, other women? Here is why in 2017 we should disparage and renounce discouragement and judgement of others and focus on how our beauty, whether that be with the addition of make-up or not, reflects our own individuality.

GoogleFacts tweeted early 2016 “studies show that men like women who wear less make-up” accompanied by two remarkably helpful images comparing Miranda Kerr bare faced and made up. In the absence of patriarchal, parodic twitter accounts, women alone are facilitating a similar rhetoric: Demi Lovato tweeted in 2015 “relax with all the contouring girls. You don’t have to paint your face like a clown to be beautiful”, “is it just me or are all those make-up “tutorials” getting a little out of hand #LESSISMORELADIES.” Even research published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimented Psychology declared that men prefer women who wear 40% less make-up. However, it is not all doom and gloom; the ladies of twitter prevailed, one asserting: “whelp time to put more make-up” another declaring: “studies show that women don’t wear make-up to impress men” and another proclaiming: “so if I cake on my make-up will stupid a** men leave me alone?” The response of the female community reveals the true value of such discriminatory, misogynistic comments. The assumption that during the 21st century humans still need to defend their bodies and choices, against the opinion of others, is completely absurd and frankly comical.

Bobbi Brown declares confidence, beauty and individuality are the beliefs that they hold central. Make-up is an expression of creativity, joy and playfulness, it gives people the power to transform, to bond with one another, a chance to self-care and most importantly the confidence to face the world despite of how defeated and broken they may feel on the inside. Make-up’s ability to transform is not an aspect of vanity, but a chance for us to enhance and highlight aspects of ourselves that we are proud of, and mask and disguise those parts of ourselves we are not so comfortable showing the entire world.

Make-up has enabled so many women to finally feel comfortable with certain parts of themselves that they were once insecure about. The way we dress each day, the way we style ourselves, the decisions of length and breadth of eyeliner each day reflects our own individuality! Caitlin Moran told Interview Magazine 2014: “my belief is that if David Bowie can do it, I can” “You can wear make-up for whatever effing reason you want.” Some women practice yoga, and some practice bold blending techniques. Enhancing our natural features has enabled many to show their best self to the world every single day.

Moral of the story? Whether you decide to rock up to your early morning seminar embellished with glittery electric blue eyeliner, vibrant red lipstick, contoured cheekbones, or completely bare faced, feel beautiful being yourself and adorning your perfect individual qualities. Because let’s be honest it takes incredible skill to shape one’s eyebrows 15 minutes before a 9am, when the residue of blueberry trebs still lingers on in your hair.