Make-up!

by Anis Filza

One of the stereotypes girls are labeled as is we take too long to get ready. Some girls spend too much time in the shower, some don’t know what to wear despite overflowing clothes in the closet(guilty as charged), and some take too much time applying make-up on their face. Now of course, like any other millions of stereotypes in this world, that does not apply to everyone. I personally take maximum 20 minutes in the morning to get ready in the morning.

And my ‘make-up collection’ only extends as far as a compact powder, a lip balm and a black eyeliner for special occasions. I used to believe in natural beauty, I don’t need make-up to look pretty, blah blah blah. But I’ve also learned over the years that what’s wrong with wearing make-up if it makes you feel good and look good?

Yeah yeah ‘guys prefer girls without make-up’.

Or do they really? For example this girl right here

Would you even take as much as a second glance if you bumped into the girl in the first picture? But a few dab of foundation and powder, blusher, mascara, eyeliner, a pair of fake lashes and contact lenses later, voila. Even if you don’t think she’s attractive, she definitely looks better in the ‘after’ picture.

I don’t think there is even one bride in this world who is make-upless on their wedding day. Except if she eloped, which is a whole another different story.

When guys say they prefer girls without make-up, I think that’s partly untrue.
Do they want to date a girl covered in inches of make-up?
No. Would they date a girl who looks good with a small trace of make-up? I think yes.
Would they date a girl who doesn’t wear make-up but complains every five seconds how she feels ugly and insecure?

I think not.

Heck, guys wearing make-up is not even a new issue. Remember Boy George? Celebrities spent thousands of dollars on make-up artist just for one award show they have to attend. The make-up industry is a multi-billion dollar global industry. We have Youtube channels teaching girls how to apply make-up for different occasions and most videos even reach more than a million views. To think that make-up is a petty issue would be an understatement.

Make-up is just one way some people wear to cover their flaws and/or to accentuate their best features. To deal with insecurities. No matter how good-looking and confident someone is, they will always have the one thing they’re insecure about. Whether their thighs are too muscular, their forehead is too wide, their eyes are too far apart. Sound silly? But that’s the reality some people have to deal with everyday. So if make-up can boost someone’s self-esteem without going overboard, without it being a mask to hide our true inner self, why not?

But of course it’s important to know when you’ve crossed the line. Too much make-up doesn’t look good on anybody and unacceptable for any occasion. Well except Halloween. And of course natural beauty is the way to go, but not everyone is lucky enough to be born with it. You can paste clichés like ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, ‘beauty is only skin deep’ on the billboards, screaming for attention but at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, we live in a superficial world where people don’t look at your personality first. People judge you automatically by your looks and only then try to get to know your personality.

That’s the sad truth. That’s how reality is.

*Anis Filza is currently studying Journalism for American Degree Transfer Program at INTI College, Subang Jaya.

*She can be reached at http://anistuff.blogspot.com/