Why I don’t wear
makeup or do my hair regularly:
I have never been terribly interested in hair and makeup.
Don’t get me wrong, I like playing with both, but I have never felt like it was
necessary. Maybe it was because I grew up with only brothers or perhaps it is
because I like to sleep until the very last minute possible in the mornings,
but I have never been one to constantly wear make-up or primp my hair to
perfection.
Don’t get me wrong, I like to throw on a little bit of
eyeliner and mascara about once a week, but there are a few things I have learned
after spending a majority of my lifetime without a face full of make-up.
My Makeup and Hair
History
Let me give you a background about my relationship with
makeup and hair, so you know where I am coming from.
My mother and I had a deal when I was growing up: On
Sundays I either had to let her curl my hair or wear a dress. Both of these
things were abhorrent to me. During the summer I would do the dress thing with
biker shorts underneath and the winter I typically would let her curl my hair,
which was fine because it then would warm up my head in the morning. This ended
around the age of 11 when I decided to get my hair cut short as I hated being
told I had to do something with it.
Oddly enough, this transitioned into me wanting to start
wearing makeup, which was probably due to a desire to balance the tomboyish
nature of my look at the time. Nevertheless, my mother assured me that I didn’t
need wear makeup. I didn’t have any unsightly blemishes or discolorations that
needed to be hidden or evened out. I had excellent eye lashes naturally that
didn’t require the constant application of mascara and eye liner. After a bit
of persistence, I was allowed to wear powder on a daily basis if I so wished
and mascara for holidays and when we went to the opera, which was about once a
month as we were season ticket holders.
After I proved that I wouldn’t overdo it with those two
items, and that I could apply them well, I was granted the approval I for which
I had earned. My mom took me to the
makeup counter at the mall to get my skin assessed and I was taught the basics.
Mind you, my mother was always well coiffed and made up to an acceptable
standard; never overly done, but rarely caught undone. She sat with me while I
spoke to the representative about my skin and then took notes while I had a
light and tasteful amount of makeup applied. She then helped me keep it
tastefully light when I practiced at home and reminded me regularly that the
makeup should never make me look like anyone other than myself and was for
special occasions. She taught me why it was important to wash my face after
wearing it and suggested gentle that I should never feel like I HAD to wear
makeup.
My friend Leah, who lived in California, loved make up as
an adolescent so summer times spent in SoCal where full of sun, swimming, and
experiments in how to keep your mascara from running at the beach. I learned
the hard way about the stinging nature of the makeup, eyes, and water, be it
chlorine or salt. I quickly decided to only do water proof mascara and
sunscreen over the summers.
I let my hair grow out again slowly, and, while I never
had much success with the curling iron, I attempted to look nice for certain
occasions. Thanks to theatre and dance, I learned the magic of bobby pins and
clips, though with my baby fine hair, they were a lost cause for the most part
as well.
After mom passed away when I was 14, I kept up what I had
learned, keeping it mostly natural and light. That was also during the
unfortunate trend of blue eye liner and blue mascara (which has made a return
as of late). I attempted to keep up with the fashions a bit, but reverted a bit
to my middle school look of powder (concealer if needed now) and mascara only.
Oh, and then came lip gloss. Literally all the lip glosses I could get my hands
on. My friend Iris and I had a lip gloss addiction. The more tingle it gave,
the better. The more glittery it was the better. That then morphed to the Y2K
makeup fashion of glitter and silver everywhere. I have little glitter eye
sequins and glitter eyeshadows. Fortunately, by the time I got into Sophomore year
of high school, that dissipated into again, the middle school make up look.
I had been doing theatre at this point and learned things
that I had missed under the tutelage of my mother, like learning to apply blush
and eyeliner in different ways. Sounds simple, but you have to remember that
this is pre You Tube Tutorials. High school was a roller coaster of wearing a
full face of makeup to no makeup depending on my mood and if I was in a show or
not or it was competition season for Choir.
College was another story. I was trying to attract the
opposite gender and “keep up” with the other GORGEOUS women in Conservatory.
Eyeliner and Mascara were still my daily makeup choices, but they were an
everyday occurrence the first 2 years which ultimately did a number on my eyes.
Even after college, mainly when I was single, I would apply makeup regularly.
Ironically, I never had skin issues in Middle, Junior High, or High school or
even College. It was when I moved to a dry climate of California that suddenly
I had skin issues so makeup was worn with regularity for a different reason
until I got it under control. After years of annoyance, I finally started to
work my way away from makeup every day or any kind and have been happier for
it.
QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS
For years, when I have chosen consciously to now wear
makeup as well as the days I was just a bit too lazy to make it happen, I have
gotten a ton of comments and questions about why I don't wear makeup.
While the amount of grief I get about it varies from
season to season, year to year, and job to job (as well as my reasons to
refrain), it has never changed my opinion on myself. I like what I look like on
a regular basis without being done up to the 9s.
Either way, I will say I am sick of hearing the following
comments/questions:
You know a little *insert
makeup type* would look so *insert positive adjective*on you!
I look good right now. Lay off. I know that it would look
nice on me, but I don’t want it on me so I would rather be happy than extra
beautiful today.
You know, a little
bit of eyeliner really makes your eyes pop!
Yes, I know it makes my eyes pop, but it also makes them
itch and water like crazy. And I best not be rubbing my face at all if I have
any on as that is the recipe for raccoon eyes.
Do you not know how
to put on makeup?
Honey, I know a lot of things, and yes, applying makeup
is one of those things. I also know how to reformat a hard drive, but you don’t
see me wanting to do that everyday either.
It makes you look
so beautiful, I bet your husband(or Significant Other) would like it!
Great news, he does like it. Better news, he thinks I am
beautiful me without it too.
Also, he loves the fact that I take an hour to do my
makeup and my hair regularly because on a whole, I'm pretty low-maintenance and
we get out the door pretty quick. Also, my average budget for Hair and Makeup
Products every month is about $20: Sunscreen, Shampoo, Conditioner, and either
a refill on something I have used up or something for a specific event (or
costume)
And let’s just keep one thing in mind: While makeup can
enhance a woman’s natural beauty, I more often see it as a cover up and a
complete face change. It is impressive
what one can do with makeup, but if you are doing that on the regular, I feel
like you would never want your Significant Other to see you bare faced.
Let me do your
makeup, it won’t look like your wearing any.
Honey, I will promise you that it will look like I am
wearing makeup because I will be. More importantly, it will FEEL like I am
wearing makeup. Whether or not I look like I am wearing makeup isn’t the point
really.
It is some sort of
statement?
No, this isn’t a feminist rant about being controlled by
men and the media’s expectations of beauty and blah blah blah. I am a humanist,
not a feminist. I think that there should be an opportunity for equality in all
things. Understand, that I believe that men are naturally better at some things
(ie Upper body strength) than women (lower body strength) as women are better
than men at other things. Neither are should be viewed as secondary citizens or
better citizens because of those differences, nor does that mean a person of
one gender can’t do the things a better than or as well as the opposite gender.
We all have our super power s and strengths given to us by God. Nothing about
our gender should dictate what we can and can’t do. Besides child birth.
All of the above rant being ranted, all I mean to say is
that I hope that women love the way they look without makeup, even if they
still wear it regularly.
So do you think I
am pathetic for being addicted to my makeup?
No? If you like makeup, that's fine. There is a concern
that you used the word addicted and I hope you are using good facial cleansing
practices is all. You, do you.
Lord, you look
tired/sick/wrecked!
Oh Lord, how is this ever ok?
You are SO brave to
go out in public like that!
When people always compliment me on how brave I am to go
into public without make-up and hair, I just laugh. I am just doing me. Incidentally,
thanks for the backhanded compliment. I am happy to know I am not up to your
standards. I am clean, clean cut, and fully dressed. There shouldn’t be an
issue just because I am a young female.
Reasons I Don’t
Wear Makeup or Do My Hair Regularly
There are lots of negative reasons people claim to not
use makeup. Much like Skinny Woman Shaming or Fat Woman Shaming, negativity on
this subject does nothing, but tear other women down. Thus let me attempt to
clarify my reasons without sounding like I am judging anyone who does
themselves up to the 9s on a regular basis.
It is not because I think I am embracing my “true self”
or my “natural beauty” more than someone else. For fear of sounding vain, I
know that I am attractive. I have never felt like I was a standout beauty or
anything, but I know that I am not an eyesore without makeup. I haven’t had to battle with skin conditions
as much as most women (and men) so that is also part of it I am sure. I have
never really been shaken about my bone structure and looks. I have a fine
quality of hair without having to go beyond the simple shampoo and condition.
Because of this, I have never felt any extra attention was necessary. In my
mind, the time it took to primp and prime was time that could be spent with
otherwise. I feel the same way about the money that would be spent on such
luxuries. I never had to get the latest lipstick color or haircut, as my face
was always in style because that it how it looked. I have a horrible habit of
rubbing my eyes during allergy season, which gives me even more reason to not
wear eye makeup. I don’t like the feeling of a full face of makeup typically,
which really is the best reason in my opinion to not wear makeup. There are
plenty of reasons to love makeup and having your hair did. As long as you love
the way you look with and without it, we're good.Though I don’t think I will ever understand women who put on a full face for the gym. If it is left over from the day, that is fine. In summation, I respect women who want to live their lives that way,
but it can’t adopt that life style for myself is all.
Now to wrap it all up with Bible passages that suggest to live simply:
1 Timothy 2:9-10 - Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable
apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or
pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess
godliness—with good works.
1 Peter 3:3-4 - Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the
putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be
the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
1 John 2:15-16 - Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in
possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Song of Solomon 4:7 - You are altogether beautiful, my love;
there is no flaw in you.
Proverbs 31:30 - Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the
Lord is to be praised.
