I hear a lot of people going 'but less is more' and I tend to disagree with this. Mainly because it is men who are saying it. For me this suggests that a lot of women apply make up for men. This may be the case, but I don't think it is the only reason that women wear make up. Many wear it for themselves, for their self confidence. If you feel you look good, then you tend to be more confident.
For me, it is not unlike my tattoo's or piercings. I spent a long time disliking how I looked, and now I look a lot more like how I want to, and I can express myself through these mediums, including but not exclusively make up.
Now I know some girls don't wear make up, and that's cool, good for you! I do go out without make up, but I must admit, only about...3-5 people have seen me without make up and these are some of my closest friends and my ex boyfriends.
Make up for me is not only about looking and feeling good but also about a hobby and a creative interest. I adore make up, I collect it, and I love to try out new products and see what they do. I love limited edition collections the same way a collector of stamps would love limited edition stamps (sorry stamps was the only thing I could think of). Playing with new ways of applying make up, colours, shapes and how it can look on the face.
I think there is a huge misconception to how make up should and should not look. I am not suggesting that this is a look for everyone. Some will laugh and say it is far too much make up.
This is a look however, for some people within a certain subculture, and who are we to judge that. I have looked a certain way to belong to a subculture, I am sure we all have.
Some girls ok, I can admit, do apply make up badly, but it's a learning curve and one that we all learn eventually! But, if they are happy with the way they look, that's cool, why should we judge them for that? When did looks and make up application become a judge of character? If I wear more make up badly applied is that a reflection of my personality, no, it is a reflection of a stereotype that I may or may not conform to. Why should it even matter?
Make up is used sometimes to act as a self confidence mechanism and as a barrier against negativity. I don't see anything wrong with this. Yes the self confidence issues are horrible but, it's a harmless way of getting through the day with them. I can think of far worse ways of doing this.
So less may be more? That's surely a matter of opinion. Often I hear the phrase 'if it's well applied and you can't tell what is the point' well the point is, it's like you, but better. Like hair dying, tattoos, piercings, hair curling straightening, anything you do to make yourself feel better or to portray yourself in a certain way, to make you happy is fine. Like you, but more colourful. I am learning to love my body after suffering with an eating disorder, and my tattoos make myself love my body, and a lot of people go well surely 'less is more' with tattoos. Fuck 'em. If I want to have tattoos and wear extravagant make up, and I am happy with it, I will. Why should I give up the things that make me feel pretty for the idea that 'less is more'. I don't care. I really don't. I'm not going to judge you if you are covered in tattoos or dressed in drag, I don't care. If you are a nice person, I'll like you regardless of how you look.
One look is not better than any other. Yes make up is meant to 'look' a certain way. But who WANTS to look a certain way.
I want to look individual and colourful and pretty. If make up helps me with this, who cares.
Basically there is nothing wrong with make up, more or less of it. We all make mistakes with it, but it's harmless. Make up isn't for men. It's for ourselves, whether or not you even wear make up. It's a hobby, a creative outlet and many other things, and I think people have forgotten than and presume now it is for luring men in and looking like the attractive norm we now have.
I don't want to be the norm.
I want to wear make up, look good, have piercings and have tattoos.
Some people don't.
Good for them!
Self expression my friends is a wonderful thing. So next time the 'less is more' debate comes up, remember it's not always about looking 'pretty', it's sometimes about so much more.
If it wasn't. Why would we have things like fashion and avant-garde make up? They are not about looking pretty but about art.
Just some food for thought.
Wear it or don't, just be happy with how you look.
That's all you can really ask for.
x
