When it comes to makeup, the typical phrase I hear is, “I don’t wear it.” That isn’t the interesting part - the reasons behind the phrase are. Like fashion, makeup is something we’re emotionally attached to - we either love it, or we absolutely cannot stand it. I’m still new to makeup, and coming from the “I don’t wear it because I’m totally clueless about it” camp, I figured I would share my thoughts with all of you.

No Idea How To Put It On

Try. Even if you aren’t going out. Even if you aren’t going to come into contact with anyone but yourself - try. Start with a flirty shade of lipstick that you like, or maybe just a gray / white eyeshadow. Just like any weight loss plan, you will crash and burn if you try to go from tomboy to Tyra Banks.

Grab a Friend. Surely you have a groovy makeup-wearing gal-pal or three? If not, why not go outside? That sounds odd, but it seems that no matter where I go, I run into someone wearing makeup. If I can run into three grannies at Wal-Mart with makeup style power, you can find a forward-thinking makeupista with a style you adore. Backup plan: Style.com, one of my favorite places for inspiration.

Go Outside…Again. Look at the trees, the buildings — web designers often use this trick to come up with eye-catching palettes for their websites, so why not make this trick work for you too? I generally go for a neutral, “so not wearing anything” look, when I just want to go to the store, but when I throw on my dark denim outfits, I get into a “smoky” mood. Try it out on your next trip to the store, or that early-morning rush to class.

Isn’t Makeup Hiding Ourselves?

At the end of the day, how you apply and feel about makeup is up to you. However, as a makeup user myself, I like to have that “finishing touch” to my look. This argument about makeup is the same timeless argument about heels — some people like it, some don’t, some feel it’s a form of oppression. I like high heels, and I like makeup. Spin it another way: if makeup is something you put on, why would you apply it to hide yourself? Attitude is the cornerstone of makeup, fashion, and just about anything else we use to alter our look. If you go into makeup with an attitude of “it’s trying to cover me up”, then makeup will cover you up. If you have a positive attitude about makeup, then it’s a finisher, a polisher that you hold final control over.

I can’t stress that last point enough — makeup is meant to make you feel GOOD about yourself. If you don’t feel good, don’t do it — invest your time into something else.

I would love for fellow makeup fans to chime in: how do you feel about makeup? Oppressive Practice, or Nice Finisher That I Can Easily Live Without, But Choose Not To?

Tags: makeup, cosmetics, self esteem,