Picture this, you’re in a great mood, you just got invited to a party and so, you take out your best outfit and finally get to break in that amazing palette you bought for this very occasion. You proceed to blend your makeup with a lot of enthusiasm, reach the party and then somebody tells you “Oh! You’re wearing a lot of makeup, you don’t need so much. You look prettier without it!”
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Makeup shaming has been around for decades now. Girls and boys are discouraged from wearing makeup with the argument that it makes them look “fake” or “plastic”.
And because it is the age of digitisation, it was not long before social media caught up to the trend of makeup shaming and the “Take her swimming on the first date” trend was born. If you’re somehow unaware of this trend, let me enlighten you.
The trend of “Take her swimming on the first date” basically involved people calling out women who wear makeup and taking them swimming to see what they looked like underneath all the glam.
This is why women can't be trusted!!!! Makeup is doing wonders now a days boys. Take her to the pool on the first date!! https://t.co/KFM1Lqz76M
— Zach Davenport (@dport502) April 12, 2017
Really? Aren’t we as a society better than dictating when someone should wear makeup and when they shouldn’t? Are our mindsets so shallow that we are annoyed by a medium of self-expression?
Makeup is an art, and while there is no dearth of beauty gurus pushing boundaries with extreme contouring, highlighting to the gods and concealing to no end, it’s art nonetheless.
Makeup shaming is not always apparent and is mostly concealed (get it?) under the guise of jokes. (Read: If I touch your face, how much makeup will come off?)
But that doesn’t mean that you should take it lying down.
As far as my observation skills go, I have never seen people shaming others for maintaining their beards, or even cutting their hair a different style. It is only makeup that is met with unsolicited policing.
Maybe, it’s because the art is mostly related to women and men being insecure about how they look. But what we fail to realise is, today people do not wear makeup because they are insecure, they wear it because they like it.
It was not until a few years ago that this subconscious makeup shaming was recognised by people and we have been fighting to end it ever since. People have resorted to humour, sarcasm as well as outright outrage to stop this trend.
Speaking of sarcasm, remember the memes telling people to mind their own business, instead of policing others for wearing makeup?
Today, makeup is not limited to a gender and that makes it all the more awesome. Don’t you think? The least we could do is not bully people who love to cake it up.
So, ladies and gentlemen, no matter whether you love to wear minimal makeup, full glam, or none at all, go ahead and flaunt yourself. It’s time we stand up against makeup shaming, one brush at a time!