How Self-Love Defines Your Cosmetics Experience
Image Courtesy: Ellie Amos
The very term “makeup” implies that you need to “make” yourself into a better version of yourself in order to achieve beauty. Of course, if you ask someone why they are wearing concealer, mascara, or lip gloss, they probably will answer something positive: “I want to feel pretty” or “I like feeling put-together.” However, there is an underlying worry that often accompanies these affirmations: “Without makeup, I will be ugly.” Sometimes, this worry applies to just one physical attribute, such as your lips, nose, skin, and so on. Other times, this worry encompasses everything: “I am completely unlikeable without makeup.”
I could say, “You don’t need makeup because you are perfect just the way you are!” However, this body positivity message has been overdone so much that it bounces off us before we have time to register and internalize what it actually means. I have never found these clichés to help anything. I know that I don’t look the same with and without makeup. So, what is to be done – is makeup evil? Or is it the answer to fixing our bodies?
Neither is true.
Your body is not conventionally “perfect” without makeup. You will have bumps, bags, and blemishes. Your nose might be “too large,” or your lips “too thin.” Such is the human body, and anything else would be honestly creepy. If I ran across a conventionally “perfect” person on the street, I would shudder.
The secret is… cosmetics are not the solution to fixing something that is broken. They are a means to accentuate qualities you have that are inherently distinctive. And thus, inherently beautiful.
Image Courtesy: Ellie Amos
People find beauty trends to be toxic because they can be found guilty of sending the message, “You are not enough, but with certain products, you can be adequate!” Instead, if you see cosmetics through the lens of self-love first and foremost, then you will find joy in the process of product application.
You will be proud of your makeup creations, rather than controlled by them. Mascara? Just to enhance your natural lashes. Eyeshadow? Just to add some gold to a feature you already adore. You will be free to experiment with what styles and products make you feel best. But at the end of the day, you will know you don’t need makeup to feel worthy.
Image Courtesy: Ellie Amos
The trick is loving your body first. What features are you proud of? What features make you unique? What are your defining characteristics? Then, use makeup to show off the body you have. For instance, I love emphasizing my hazel eyes through purple or golden eyeshadow. At the same time, I keep my lips simple with a little overlining and gloss.
But what about the features you want to hide? We all know that foundation can cover up acne. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. However, if you do not love your body before application – acne and all – then you will struggle to see foundation as an enhancer. You will see it as the end-all-be-all. Instead of worrying if you covered up every blemish, remember that acne is something that almost everyone can relate to – it's just a part of being human!
Image Courtesy: Ellie Amos
Self-love changes your entire outlook on cosmetics. Instead of obsession or worry, there is peace and freedom. Your appearance may never conform to the “perfect” societal image, but it doesn’t need to – in fact, it shouldn’t at all. You are beautiful with acne and with foundation. And your most distinctive qualities should be appreciated!
The goal of makeup should never be to hide who you are. The goal should be a fun look that builds confidence and aligns with who you are. I promise, loving your body will make your makeup shine brighter than ever before.
Strike Out,
Writer: Ellie Amos
Editor: Isabel Wilder
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