oatmealaddiction:

curseworm:

every single post that says its ok to not wear makeup has like nine hundred replies saying “actually some girls LIKE the inescapable, crushing demand that they expend their money, time, and energy concealing and altering their natural features to better mimic an artificial and unattainable standard!!! leg contouring is girl power”

When I see posts about this topic I tend to think about two things.

The first is a PBS reality show from the early 2000’s called Frontier House, wherein modern families were carted out to the prairie to live like pioneers in the early 1800’s. One of the requirements of the show was no modern amenities, so no toilet paper, or electricity etc. When one of the women on the show found out there would be no makeup allowed either, she started panicking on camera. She complained about it in confessionals, talking about how ridiculous it was. Later on in the show it was revealed she in fact broke the rules and snuck mascara and concealer with her onto the show because she was so afraid of being seen without makeup on television. She didn’t sneak in tooth paste or a lighter or anything that would have made her time on the show easier; she brought makeup.

The other thing I think about is Drag Queens and Queer Makeup artists, and the industry they have gotten rolling after years of “men in liptstick” being little more than a punchline. Conversations about the impact queer people have had on makeup are starting to happen, and the insistence of makeup as artistry and a powerful tool of self-expression.

I think both of these are things you have to consider when we talk about how makeup is used against women and the ways in which it’s become an expectation that is necessary for us to receive jobs or just general respect when we’re out in public.

The first is the genuine deep fear women have of being seen without makeup. That being out with a clear face is going to result in some horrible bad thing. That everyone is going to see their “flaws” and how terrifying that is to not be in control of your own image. It’s really tragic how much these women see themselves as hideous without their makeup on.

The second is the women and queer people who’s relationship with make up is *not* seen as an expectation but as an offense. Their use of makeup is often treated as ridiculous or ugly and as excuse to hurl abuse at them. For them they’re repurposing a tool that has been used in an oppressive way and instead using it as a means of self-expression.

And because of corporate marketing and the way the make up industry functions, these two perspectives get really mixed up. There are queer people who talk about make up as a means of artistic self-expression who still bemoan how hideous they are with a clean face. There are cis women who are fully aware of how predatory the make up industry is who still suffer from that fear of how they’ll be treated with a clean face. There are trans people who for them, makeup helps them pass and the thought of going out without it feels genuinely threatening. There are GNC people who have had to fight tooth and nail for their right to wear make up in the first place.

That’s why I think there’s so much push back when we talk about the ways in which make up is used to alienate and control women, because that relationship between women/queer people and make up is so fraught and complicated. Talking about the ways in which it’s bad can genuinely feel like a threat for a lot of people. I think we just have to acknowledge that there’s a lot of facets to this conversation besides “makeup good” or “makeup bad.” Makeup is a tool and depending on how it is used it can help or hurt.

The main thing I believe is we need more focus on makeup as a means to cover up a persons flaws, and instead as a tool of artistry. It should never be obligatory and always optional, and always a tool of self-expression the same way dyeing your hair or getting a tattoo are. When makeup is used a tool of self-hatred, as a means to *fix* yourself, that’s when it’s dangerous and we should all be highly suspicious of it.

the-spoonie-life:

communistkiyo:

oxyphyle:

hollowedskin:

shrewreadings:

i-was-today-years-old-when:

i learned that a makeup artist with Parkinson’s just launched a cosmetics brand for people with shaky hands (x)

Have a link to the actual site!

https://www.guidebeauty.com

hey neat! there are videos on their site about how to use each product, and they look fantastic.

Also using my cheekbone as a rest/pivot point for my hand is how I do my eyeliner, its much easier.

wait I’m crying

If you wear concealer/foundation/contour/etc and don’t want to mess it up by resting your hand on your face, you can use a powder puff as a barrier! You’ll still be able to brace your hand just fine, but the makeup underneath will stay looking good as new ❤️

Every time this comes up I have to reblog cause everyone deserves to be able to put on makeup if want to.

greenjudy:

armeleia:

sevdrag:

lurlur:

peepingnee:

What anxiety? I have CHEEKBONES!

I think I’m in love?

a real american hero

This has a real Clone Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi energy to me.

The man is lovely but it’s the voice, the voice, the voice.