My younger sister got her ears pierced a full two years before my own succumbence. All throughout elementary school, I slit my eyes at the idea of putting holes in my body solely for the sake of decoration. The little boys in the yard weren't stabbing their ears, so why should I? Though this sentiment carried with momentum for many years, I eventually found a pair of earrings I desperately needed and got myself poked at Claire's. After getting pierced, I transferred that same resistant energy towards makeup culture. But just as I wanted to start middle school with gel studs, I really want to do my 20s in red lipstick.

I was very nervous about embarking on this journey. Hailing from a home comprised of two grown men and one little sister, I had little perspective in the culture prior to joining a sorority. Until living with oodles of sisters, I only really had my sister for insight. Of course, teenage years are full of angst and resentment, so her involvement with makeup only polarized me away from it.

Well, that and the entire advertisement culture behind it. Little makes me more sad than society telling women that our faces aren't good enough naturally. And us listening to it! Going about life thinking your face would serve the world better underneath a paper bag with little eye slits is honestly helping nobody but the patriarchy. Instead of worrying about my eyelash length or the fact that my face is always red (alcohol involvement or not), I much prefer focusing that energy on something actually productive... like systemic dismantling.

Then there's the issue of animal testing. I understand if you need to dissect a rat to develop vaccines, but testing chemicals on bunnies just so you can sell it to women made insecure by this ridiculous society is not justified.

Something I've learned from the women with whom I go to college, however, is that makeup doesn't necessarily have to be a patriarchal scheme. In fact, putting on makeup has the potential to be really empowering. There's something to be said about being able to cover that zit or hickey and move the hell on with your day. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to look hotter than you already are. Strut it! If you will feel more confident with some black stuff around your eyes, you do you.

So for Christmas this year, my little sister took me into Sephora and bought me the essentials. And I'm so excited for this new leaf I've turned! This next step in womanhood (to some)! This art form! I look forward to concealing my non-Asian Asian glow when I go out. I can't wait to put on my eyelid wings and soar. I'm gonna run town for the next decade, my voice dressed in a sexy red lipstick.