There’s nothing like a bold lip or a pop of blush on your cheeks to instantly transform your complexion. Whether it be light and natural or a complete full-face look, the use of cosmetics in this day and age is very much debatable.

In the past, there were many uses of makeup. Some were to distinguish between social classes, whilst others were to beautify and enhance present features. In today’s society, the overuse of makeup is often questioned as it is connected to confidence issues or a lack of self-love.

Choosing to wear makeup, or not, is a personal preference and should not be a biased decision. Lots of people embrace their natural beauty and only wear makeup to exaggerate their favoured features; however, others deem cosmetics as an absolute necessity and feel “naked” without it.

Then there are others who have fun with cosmetics, and see their faces as blank canvases where they can paint their own art — hence the title of makeup artist. Anyone who uses makeup, even the slightest bit, needs to learn that it is purely an addition to their present beauty and not something that can replace one’s attractiveness.

The ability to love yourself with and without makeup is a difficult task and is done by those who have reached a state of mental appreciation and satisfaction with who they are. I commend those ladies who are able to wipe their canvases off at the end of the day and feel just as confident as they did when they first put it on. The sad truth is, not everyone feels this way.

A recent poll that was conducted on behalf of the Renfrew Centre Foundation found that 44% of women feel unattractive without makeup. That statistic is further broken down into three categories:

• 16% of women polled felt unattractive when not wearing cosmetics.
• 14% felt self-conscious without makeup.
• 14% felt naked without makeup.

The use of cosmetics is seen as a rite of passage for girls to conform to the unrealistic standards of society, and therefore become insecure. Since they spend their time trying to look like someone they’re not, they become accustomed to that ideal and will begin to always strive for that. Girls attempt to achieve that “beautiful” mirage of a woman, and then beat themselves up when they can’t recreate it.

“There is absolutely no reason that young girls and even teens require a full face of makeup on a daily basis,” says Barbara Greenberg from The Huffington Post. She adds, “I am also not happy with the cosmetics industry for the way they market cosmetics to our young daughters. Walk through any pharmacy, cosmetics store or even toy store and you will see exactly what I mean.” It is quite evident that media has embarked on a journey to make young people feel self-conscious about the way they look. It is our job to embrace positive self-esteem and preach blemishes and dark circles.

I understand the struggle young girls (and guys) are going through because I’ve dealt with it myself. It’s morally wrong for society to embrace natural beauty and then promote unrealistic standards for individuals as young as 9 and 10 to concede with. I used to be overwhelmed with this false notion of outer beauty and how looks are all that matters. It got to the point where all I would do is search videos and tutorials up about how to contour or mask zits because I hated my natural appearance. At the same time, I started to love myself more with defined eyes or more evenly-toned skin. It was a mental struggle to break out of this constant cycle of self-hatred. Thankfully, I’ve been able to overcome that ideal and completely ban it from my train of thought; however, it’s not as easy for a lot of people.

Realizing that although there are beauty enhancers out on the market, (makeup or cosmetic surgeries) nothing will change how you look on the inside. It was this point that allowed me to convert from a firm believer in outer beauty to an inner beauty preacher. With time, I have been able to overcome my confidence issues while developing my character. It’s not looks that make a person memorable, but rather their personality. I know it’s easier said than done, but the best way to come to terms with your natural features is to love yourself on the inside first, and that downpour of appreciation will radiate to the outside.

We occupy a world where looks take you much farther than intelligence and morals do. It is the unfortunate reality we live in that shows women (and men) an unachievable standard of beauty and degrades them when they cannot conform to it.

There is so much power in makeup and these containers and jars that house concealers and powders hold more strength than what meets the eye. Whether you beat your face for fun or for confidence, know that everyone is individual and that diversity is something we need to celebrate, not cover-up.

At the end of the day, you are who you are and nothing can change that. Sure, you can spend hours of your time intricately applying makeup to alter the way you look, but it still won’t change who you are on the inside. Being beautiful on the inside radiates a different form of elegance that cannot be achieved by cosmetics alone.

If you want to embrace the power of makeup, definitely do it. If you want to get dolled up because it makes you feel good, do it. But never feel that you NEED makeup to be pretty, because inner beauty shines brighter than appearances.

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Citations:

• Greenberg, Barbara. “Teens, Makeup and Self-Esteem.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 3 May 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-greenberg/teens-makeup-selfesteem_b_3209198.html.
• Holly, Antoine. “12 Women Experience The Amazing Power Of Makeup.” Diply, Diply, 31 May 2016, diply.com/12 pictures-that-show-the-amazing-power-of-makeup?config=8.
• Falletta, Augusta. “11 People Who Proved The Transformational Power Of Makeup In 2015.” BuzzFeed, www.buzzfeed.com/augustafalletta/13-people-who-proved-the-transformational-power-of-makeup-in utm_term=.tbR0w6R31#.rtzM5wVG9.
• “44% Of Women Are Dependent On Cosmetics For Self Esteem.” Beutiful Magazine, 21 Feb. 2016, beutifulmagazine.com/2012/03/26/44-of-women-are-dependent-on-cosmetics-for-self-esteem/.