I was shocked and confused the other day, when I was told that I was wearing “too much makeup.” On this day, I kept my look pretty neutral—- and I thought I was working it. According to the commenter though, I was not working it— I was wearing “too much makeup.”
The quantity of makeup that is considered to be "too much" is obviously quite subjective. Some people think any makeup is too much and others think that the line is drawn at stripper makeup or drag queen makeup. In my opinion, there is no limit to how much makeup a person should or shouldn’t wear and a person should not be discriminated against for how much makeup they wear or don’t wear. Just as we should not discriminate against someone who has tattoos, dyed hair, or a particular style of dress, we should not discriminate against people based on the quantity of makeup they wear. If someone is confident the way they are, and it does not affect you, why tell them to change? I said it once, and I’ll say it again: There is no limit to how much makeup a person should or shouldn’t wear.
Women who wear makeup are constantly criticized for being fake, having low self-esteem, and only wearing it for attention. Likewise, men and others who wear makeup receive their share of false accusations. In most cases, the reason behind insults directed toward people who wear makeup are preconceptions about those who wear makeup, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
These critics fail to realize that maybe people wear makeup because they like it— it's common to have a hobby. Glitter eyeliner, blue lipstick, and false eyelashes are a fun form of art— art that is no different than a painting, a sculpture, a song, or a dance. There is no such thing as too much art, and people need to realize this. There is no such thing as "too much makeup."
Critics also don’t understand that makeup does not make someone fake. Just because someone looks different with makeup than without makeup, does not mean they wear “too much makeup,” and that “fact” makes them fake. Why does what someone looks like matter so much? Isn’t it their personality that counts? Shouldn’t you care for someone no matter what they look like if they’re a good person? It’s a nasty and deceitful personality that makes someone fake— not what they look like.
Low self-esteem, although it can happen, is not the reason why most people who wear makeup choose to wear makeup. Wearing makeup does not automatically indicate that a person is not happy with themselves and their appearance. Perhaps makeup is fun to them. Maybe it’s a way to relieve stress, similar to coloring, going for a run, or watching a favorite tv show. It’s possible that people just feel more like themselves wearing makeup, since it’s a form of self-expression.
People also don’t usually wear makeup to impress someone. Most makeup wearers do it for themselves. They feel empowered with their enhanced natural beauty or downright fierceness. They feel empowered wearing neon eyeshadow. They feel empowered having chiseled out cheek bones. They feel empowered wearing a foundation that may or not match their skin tone. If someone is empowered and feels awesome wearing the amount makeup that they are wearing, no matter how “bad” it looks or how much of it they wear, they are not wearing “too much makeup.”
The quantity of makeup that someone puts on their face or doesn’t put on their face is not something to make fun of. If you have preconceptions about anyone who wears makeup or anyone who doesn’t wear makeup, throw them out right now. Insulting somebody for having a passion for a positive art form or a disinterest in it, is not okay. I’m not sorry that my shimmer eyeshadow and winged eyeliner offends you and I’m not going to apologize for my excessive use of highlighter. This is how I like to look. This is how I express myself. This makes me happy. The majority of makeup wearers feel the same. Even non-makeup wearers, would mostly agree that their choice to not wear makeup should not be something to make fun of them for. No matter what your choice is, no makeup or makeup, it is not a choice that needs to be corrected. We are who we are, and how we express ourselves is up to us and nobody else. Own your aesthetic and don’t ever listen to anyone who says it’s “too much.”
