Makeup Conundrum​

I had bouts of buying and trying a few makeup products throughout my life but I could never stick to a makeup routine.  I did not get into it possibly because of my laziness, lack of self-consciousness and an of an urge to show my authentic self. Little did I know about the power of makeup to help succeed in areas that are not directly linked with any artistic skills to paint faces or seduce anyone. 

My google brought forward the fact that makeup accentuates sexuality, youth, and femininity. While most makeup products are designed to make us look attractive in a way to mimic sexual compatibility, do we really wear them to have sex with men? If that was the case, rather than wearing makeup to work or party and taking it off at night, we would probably start wearing makeup at bedtime or whenever we want to have sex. It is not practical to smudge makeup during intimacy either but do we bother applying smudge proof skin tints or shimmering oils for highlights? I am still confused why I need flushed cheeks and rosy lips to imitate ovulation with a bunch of people I have no intention of being intimate with and not wear to sexually provoke my husband. Also, who on earth ovulates every single day of the month! Comment below if you do wear makeup to be intimate in a long-term relationship.

Let’s focus on other areas of our faces. Pores and wrinkles are absolutely normal to have but still, we opt for “flawless” younger looking skin. Is growing older really a flaw to bolster our lack of self-acceptance? Although concealers can make people stop thinking you are going through a rough patch, I assume, these people do know that dark circles and spots do not happen only to stressed and sleep deprived people and some of us love to stay in bed longer in the morning more than wearing makeup. Eyes, on the other hand, need more work to make one look awake and youthful by possibly waking up early to take the time to draw the desired symmetrical look on the 3-dimensional surface, aka face. It takes practice, if you are not a pro artist, to draw a pair of well-defined brows on fleek and make thick long curled lashes. The pressure is high when you expect the facade to have a very specific sculpted look to draw a certain bone structure, even when it is not natural. I wonder how someone feels when she is judged on her appearance after all the efforts she makes!

The act of wearing makeup can be an art therapy to relax and just have fun while being at the height of self-expression. Beauty is never a constant. It depends on the decade, the culture of a particular geographic location and most importantly, “the eyes of the beholder”, who is either the makeup wearer or someone else or both. The reason behind wearing makeup may simply be confidence boosting, to be seen more favourably or to be part of the selfie-loving insta-glam tribe.

Whichever reason it may be, we should not judge someone for their choice of how much and how often they wear makeup while having a double standard when appearances of men are concerned. Men’s faces somehow are less scrutinised than women’s and judged in most cultures when they wear makeup. Not fair on either gender, I suppose! I hope someday, we will live in an ideal world where we will not be dictated by the society how to live and how to look as long as no harm is done.