Why is it that so many of us feel naked without make-up?
Yes, it's partly because we're deluged with images of airbrushed perfection.
But it's mainly because we all buy into the fact that we don't look good enough 'as we are'.
I started wearing make-up regularly when I was 15. I had bad hair, bad clothes and milk-bottle glasses. I knew I didn't have much going for me in the looks department at the time and make-up gave me a little more confidence. Although I still remember a fellow bus traveller also aged 15 who asked me, "Why do you bother wearing make-up when you wear glasses?". That hurt – but it didn't stop me!
So, what's the relevance to Salt Spring? Well, I must admit I've been gradually wearing less and less make-up over the last few years. First I started only wearing mascara on my top eyelashes. Then I stopped wearing eyeliner. Then the no make-up… Step 1 was wearing no make-up in the house. Step 2 was occasionally 'popping' to the shops with no make-up on. This is no joke, I was a make-up addict and going cold-turkey was not an option. And then I moved to Salt Spring.
And as a make-up wearer you are definitely in the MINORITY here on Salt Spring. Women of ALL AGES regularly go make-up less.
Last summer we had our 2 week vacation here on Salt Spring and (apart from the eyelash extensions I tried – and that's a whole other story) I wore no make-up while I was here. Just tinted lipbalm. And then we spent a weekend in Victoria. Suddenly I felt naked!
It was fascinating. On Salt Spring I feel overdone just wearing mascara and lipstick. But in Victoria (or Vancouver) I feel naked? What's it all about? Are the women on Salt Spring more confident? Have they just not bought into the hype? Or do they just not go around comparing themselves to others?
What I think is that if we truly believed we looked great without make-up, we wouldn't wear any. What would be the point? But it’s inbuilt into our nature to judge, evaluate and compare. The problem is there will always be someone better looking, thinner, fitter than us. And we're all aging on a daily basis. We need to stop comparing and just love being OURSELVES!
I'm not saying stop wearing make-up. I love make-up – the colours, how you can change how you look.
But maybe with a bit of pondering on the subject, you'll be able to agree that you actually look perfect just the way God or Mother Nature intended…
And so, I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes:
"We as women are trained to see ourselves as cheap imitations of fashion photographs, rather than seeing fashion photographs as cheap imitations of women" Naomi Wolf
A time and a place – yes. Icing on the cake sometimes – yes. I guess I’m curious how many of us are truly happy with the way we look without make-up. I’m know I’m only now just getting used to it and learning to love my make-up free face.
As long as we visually compare ourselves to others – using society’s beauty standards – and others are wearing make-up, we are going to feel ‘less’. We need to stop comparing AND focus on ourselves. We need to set our own standards and learn to accept our (and other’s) imperfections. We need to change the way we see things…
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DATE: 02/09/2013 08:34:22 PM
The Great Make-up Debate? – Life on Salt Spring
“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~Anaïs Nin
I understand that for some it is a shield of protection woven with part confidence, part compliance; and for others it is icing on the cake.
Motive aside, as with most things there is a time and place I would of thought 🙂