Why is it that when a girl/woman appears to be wearing a lot of makeup, they are immediately judged as someone who’s insecure, or doesn’t respect herself or her body?
People often comment on how much, or how little, makeup women wear. It’s a constant “hot topic” with teenagers who come to school wearing perhaps a lot of makeup, or with famous people getting caught walking down the street with a naked face.
From either side of the spectrum, both scenarios receive a great amount of criticism for a life choice that shouldn’t reflect one’s personality–but it does.
I can’t count the amount of times I’ve come to school not wearing any eye-makeup, and I’ve had friends ask if I was ok, or if I was tired. (Surprisingly, most comments were from guys,). If a girl isn’t wearing makeup then something is most likely off. Makeup shouldn’t define who we are, but there’s a serious jump in attitude between those who wear zero makeup, and those who wear a noticeable amount.
My response to wearing a lot of makeup is this: who cares? Why does my choice to wear makeup today affect you as a person? The answer is it doesn’t, and I apologize for seeming too harsh or blunt by saying so. But think about it. The honest answer is that I enjoy putting on makeup, and I don’t wear it for anyone else besides myself.

Why does my choice to wear makeup today affect you as a person?

The other day I read an article from the website refinery29, on the subject of “makeup bullying.” Maria Del Russo writes, “Applying my cosmetics blisses me out more than any yoga session or two-mile run ever could. This does not make me dull, vapid, materialistic, silly, or less of a feminist.”
And she’s totally right.
I know many women who agree that the act of putting on makeup is not so that they can seek approval or the attention of others. It’s relaxing- a daily routine or ritual. I also believe many would agree that applying makeup is not an easy task- it’s an art form.
This relates to the idea of contouring one’s face to accentuate or exaggerate certain features. Some critics believe this is deceiving and fake, but I argue it’s just creative shading to highlight a person’s cheekbones and eyebrows, or create a thinning effect on the nose, or to define the lips.
Jasmin Luby Barrow, a blogger, discusses the idea of men having trust issues with women who wear a lot of makeup. “I’m not trying to escape who I really am, and my decision to spend half an hour contouring doesn’t make me superficial or fake.”
She also mentions that women shouldn’t be put to shame for wanting to feel beautiful, and whether that involves makeup or not is simply the side effect of a larger issue.
Stars are under constant scrutiny due to the 24/7 availability of all forms of media that dominate our society today. People, especially like Kylie Jenner, deal with a feed of negative comments on their appearance on a daily basis.
If someone is consistently reminded of every single flaw or imperfection on their body, after a certain point, whether you agree it or not, it would hurt you.
Instead of judging others and putting people down for their choice to wear makeup, appreciate makeup as a form of self-expression that celebrates and enhances a woman’s beauty.