I have never been drawn to the art of makeup. I have seen many girls and women use their face as an open canvas on which they showcase their ability to use cosmetics to produce beauty. My own sister, included, has been fond of makeup for as long as I can remember, but more than that, she has practiced a lot and now has the skills to accentuate any facial features and use makeup to create pure artwork. Though it never has been my personal preference, I have a profound appreciation for a woman’s choice to fashion makeup and use cosmetics to their own liking. Makeup allows women, or men, to look however they wish to and give them a way to feel good about themselves.

Recently, I have heard a lot of criticism about women who choose to wear many makeup products frequently. This criticism seems to emphasize that no woman needs to wear a lot of makeup in every situation, and there are supposedly times that are more appropriate for the use of cosmetics than to others. Though the makeup industry is thriving and the introduction of new, innovative products continues, there is this overarching idea that makeup is unnatural and thus creates a double standard for the women that use it.

On the one hand, women who fashion makeup are criticized because of a so-called standard and level of appropriateness that is attached to makeup. It is somehow seen as unnecessary to be using makeup all the time, even when stepping out to run errands, or when attending classes. Women are tagged as being “caked” in makeup, and somehow there is an ideology that women who use makeup often have artificial beauty, one that cannot be universally appreciated.

But what these criticisms fail to acknowledge is that it is the unattainable beauty standards of our society that drive women to feeling as if their natural appearance is unattractive. They are compelled to believe that the way that they appear when looking into a mirror is not perfect and not acceptable. Makeup gives a lot of women a way in which they can alter their appearance and look how they desire to look. Makeup weakens the effects that societal beauty expectations can have on a woman’s self-esteem and self-image. Yet, it is this same makeup that society is now continuously commenting on, judging women who embrace the art of cosmetics and stripping women of this way of feeling happy with themselves.

I have heard many times now, the phrase, “She’s not actually pretty, she’s just wearing a lot of makeup.” This phrase, permeating conversation amongst men and women alike, functioning such that it ultimately strips women of the beauty that they really believed that they had finally attained.

The beauty standards of today are significantly influenced by makeup, but somehow the expectations have changed such that it takes away from the function makeup fulfills. Where the cosmetic and makeup industry works diligently to cater to the needs of women and men alike, there are underlying criticisms that work to take that away from the consumers. There is this notion that natural beauty is the only real beauty that exists, and women are expected to keep striving for a look that ultimately does not exist.

Young girls and women alike use makeup for their own self-appreciation and acceptance, and it is undoubtedly wrong to create unattainable standards for them, and then criticize the women who are bold enough to do what it takes to feel beautiful.