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Why do I hate this so much? Because make-up is nothing to laugh at, that's why. True, there are plenty of women that have no idea how to properly use make-up. For most of these women, I would guess there was either no one there to teach them how to put on make-up, or they refused to listen and now they're suffering for it. However, when make-up is properly applied, it does wonders for a women, and not just for her features.
Properly applied make-up is not a fixing tool, but a balancing tool. Women wear make-up, not to "fix" their features, but to balance them out.
Foundation is used to balance skin tones. Women that rely on foundation often have splotchy skin or acne/acne scars. Foundation is used to balance out these colors and make the woman look healthier. Properly applied foundation cannot be seen. It is when too much or the wrong color or both is applied that foundation becomes an issue.
Mascara is used to widen eyes and lengthen eyelashes. Women that wear the proper amount of mascara often have short eyelashes, light eyelashes or blonde-tipped eyelashes (like me). Properly applied mascara is not chunky or thick. The mascara color flatters the eye color and doesn't drastically change the eyelashes. I use black mascara because my eyelashes go from very dark to very light. Wearing black mascara, for me, is just an extension of the dark part of my eyelashes. Women with light eyelashes should use browns. Mascara is incorrectly applied when the eyelashes are thick, chunky and look like a pencil can balance on them.
I could go through every type of make-up, but I won't. Every type of make-up is the same. Use the colors appropriate for the colors of your face and use them sparingly. Make-up choices should also be based on the formality of an event. (More make-up is acceptable at more formal events. I will probably get more into that in a different blog post.) It will make you look more confident and like you know what you're doing.
That's not even just an opinion. I read a wonderful article this morning that quotes a study performed at Harvard University that says the same thing. (The article talks about more than make-up. You should read it.)
In this study, people were shown pictures of women wearing no make-up, light make-up, and heavy make-up. The people responded with their first impressions of each woman. Women wearing light make-up looked more competent, trustworthy, and like-able than women with no make-up. Women wearing heavy make-up were still considered attractive, but they looked untrustworthy.
If this is true, then why do so many people have an issue with people wearing make-up? Well, I have a theory. I don't know why some women hate make-up. However, I think the make-up-hating men are victims of our culture.
Throughout history men and women have worn make-up. Especially when the world was run by nobles, the difference between male and female fashions, make-up included, were not that different. Starting in the mid- to late-eighteenth century, fashion for men became more "masculine." The middle-class started to rise at this time. Men went to work, women stayed home, and fashions started to emphasize these roles.
By the 19th century, an early business suit was the thing for men to wear. It was the uniform of a successful working man. As the working class became more important, make-up for men disappeared. Working men didn't have time for that nonsense. If a man wore make-up, he was soft, feminine, and not cut out for a world run by business.
So now make-up is just for women. With women and men filling the same roles in today's society, more men are starting to dislike make-up. Why? Because women can be successful in the work place and still wear make-up (therefore staying feminine). It's against the culture the developed world has been ingrained with for the past few centuries. These people against make-up say that it makes a woman look fake. I propose, however, that it is more a conflict of culture and reality than a perception of fakeness.
