Makeup truly is something rare, we’ve seen online how people teach us the right ways to use each product, how to use it for each specific face shape and the areas where every product is designed to be used. But what most of these people don’t mention is how makeup is free for all, there are no rules to it and the only true meaning behind it is to enjoy it, because why would you be playing, creating, using makeup if you don’t enjoy it, right?
It is a confidence booster when used in a way to hide certain features that bother us, a pimple, tired eyes, dull skin but also highlight those features we are proud of, create a contrast to brighten your eyes, showcase your lips, your facial structure. It all is relative to the user and what they are trying to achieve, but it’s supposed to be fun, enjoyed which is why it is also seen as a type of art, artistic expression and outlet, a way for us to express ourselves using a canvas that we can’t take off, our faces, our bodies. We create and we erase, it’s an endless, harmless way to let your creativity roam free.
No right way to wear it, only enjoy it
There are many posts online that teach us how to properly wear certain products, how to apply foundation, the base, what works and what doesn’t and in a way, they are not all that wrong, but it’s not all there is to makeup. An expression without boundaries, how rules don’t apply here, rather how the wearer feels with it. Yes, there are courses and ways one can improve their techniques and implement them, but in the end, it is up to the person creating that chooses to follow the popular themes or create their own because as we know, every person is different and so are our faces, even if we might have similar features, there are distinctive details that could change our entire look even if we all followed the same theme. Undertones, highlights, curves, imbalance, balance… Everything takes part when using makeup and anyone interested in it could take part in this type of art. Just like any type of art, basics should be learned to properly create something that we envision. Color techniques, how they blend together, how to create a color one must block any other in the base that might interfere and disturb the end product.
How to cover a pimple one can’t simply add foundation on top and hope for the best but rather get rid of the redness with some green and then apply more products on top, or just add foundation, everyone’s got their techniques that work for them, right? Why should other techniques be wrong if it’s all relative to the user? That said, replicating someone else’s work by following a tutorial or a simple picture is valid as well, that’s what comes with the territory of free for all, if you like it, you can do it yourself, though, if it comes to recreating a piece that was created by a certain person, credit should be given where the inspiration was taken from as artist truly put their heart and souls into their creations and put them on display for the public to appreciate, they are still subjects to those who replicate them and called those their own instead of giving credit to the original creator.
Giving it no gender
Over the centuries, we’ve seen makeup evolve or well, in some cases, devolve as it was used by tribes to showcase their position in power or my aristocrats to showcase their wealth, truly giving it no rules to follow as to who could and couldn’t be one that wore makeup. But as we get closer to the present day, makeup has become stigmatized and seen as only proper for women to wear it, yet even with that, it has been difficult as it’s often seen as desirable to wear no makeup but those that desire such thing, aren’t aware of the art behind wearing seamless makeup that only hides certain things and gives a naturally unnatural glow to the skin. A trick field for those that still struggle with society’s norms and try to venture into this passion as still today, makeup is seen to be leaning towards women and those who wear it are disruptive to the society, creating confusion and disgust by those who simply do not understand that we are wearing it for ourselves and not the rest to see. To keep it natural or go overboard, there is no limit to how we decide to wear it but we ought to be careful with every situation and the environment where we decide to wear it. As some might not see it as proper, it could cost us a job, an opportunity or create a very uncomfortable moment for us to go through, but in the end, is it worth it to hide it from those that do not understand? To some extent, it isn’t. We shouldn’t feel as if we are limited with our self-expression but in today’s world, we are, the moment we set foot outside for others to see, judge. It is only up to us to embrace our own art and create a movement, make brands create much more visibility for the usage of makeup and how it is not gendered but rather a form of art that everyone should be able to try and enjoy.
It could even be therapeutic, an outlet to express our frustrations, our pain, our joy. Just like other outlets, sports, painting, drawing, singing, makeup is part of this category of expressing ourselves and how we feel, though there are not many consequences other than a very improbable allergic reaction since at the end of the day, we always get to take the makeup off and start fresh.
