When I was fourteen, I remember walking into a CVS at the mall, and saying to my friends, “Please help me pick out makeup! What do I wear? What looks good on me? What should I DO?!” Makeup, at the time, was a whole world to me that I had the slightest idea how to navigate. I never knew the correct amount of lip-gloss to apply, never knew the difference between mascara and eyeliner, and had the slightest idea of how to care for my skin. From starting off with putting eyeshadow on top of my eyeliner (to which my friend one day said “you dolt! Eyeliner goes on top!”) to thinking "wow, maybe I should shape my brows???" I too have seen the horrors of what makeup can do. Yet, after years and years of practice, I’ve learned some of the wonderful things about makeup.

1. It lets you look the way that you want to

whether you want your face to look slimmer or to give yourself gold eyelids, now you can! For some people, makeup can hide parts of their face, or enhance certain features that should be shown off. You got big lips? Wear that red lipstick! You look hot! You have pretty eyelashes guys? Don’t be afraid to put on eyeliner and mascara!

2. Makeup makes you feel confidant

though you should not be ashamed or worried about how you look (ever, and I mean it) some days you want to hide that acne or pluck your potential unibrow. Covering up or ‘fixing’ whatever flaws you think you have can make you feel more confident and comfortable in your own skin.

3. Makeup is generally a luxury

so it feels good to spend some time on yourself! No one technically needs makeup – it is a personal choice for you to wear it or not. And, to reinforce what I’ve said in many of my other articles, you shouldn’t feel guilty or bad about investing time in looking the way that you want to. Spend time on yourself to become the person you want to be.

4. Makeup is genderless!

Guys! Gender-Queer / Non-conforming people! Makeup is a wonderful art for you to explore! And, if you do identify as lesbian or gender non-conforming, it doesn’t automatically make you a feminine person. Makeup is great in letting you explore yourself, knowing what looks good or not on you. If you’re a dude and you have a rockin’ brow arch, define that shit! Don’t let such good facial features go unseen!

5. Makeup is a learning process.

If I could go back in time and tell my younger self how to do makeup… I wouldn’t. Makeup is a learning process. Learning all the tips and tricks, how lighting works on your face, what shapes are best shown on your face / body, and what different cosmetics do to your skin is all part of the process. Sure, some of us wish we hadn’t done awful makeup when we were younger, but if we never experienced the bad, we would never get better at it. One of my favorite makeup YouTubers Christen Dominique said in a recent video of hers, “it is okay not to know, because it’s a learning experience, and you get better, and you grow from it...”

So, for those who don’t know where to start, I suggest starting out small – use drug store makeup (L’Oréal, Maybelline, Elf and the life) and watching YouTube tutorials, search the internet, or talk to a cosmetics specialist about where to start. Makeup is an art form in and of itself, where everyone should be able to enjoy it.