The Art of Being Bare Faced

"The beauty myth is always actually prescribing behavior and not appearance."

Naomi Wolf

This is an essay that I wrote for a Women's Studies class (in approximately two hours...), but it is important no less.

Since I was in the ninth grade makeup has been a persistent aspect of my morning routine.  Makeup has taken many forms in life, transforming how I have looked and felt not only throughout the years, but yesterday, this morning.  From the glittery pink eye shadows and even more glittery lip gloss experiments in the sixth grade to the days of too much black eyeliner in ninth grade.  To junior year when I sported red lipstick every day and now, at the end of my sophomore year of college, where I have discovered that less can in fact be more, and sometimes sleep is more important that mascara.  Although my makeup has taken many versions, the next usually better than the last, it has remained an unquestioned constant in my life.  The part of my morning where I gaze into the mirror and scrutinize every flaw I have been socialized to despise; the part of my day where I begin to forget that I am intelligent, funny, and ambitious. 

            For my liberating act, I chose to go without makeup for an entire week.  This may sound like a pitiful, shallow accomplishment, but coming from someone who is consistently praised for their makeup ability and has mere acquaintances asking them to do their makeup for special events, it is a relatively big deal.  To begin the process, I wore my normal makeup routine for a week, especially conscious of how I was treated, how I was looked at, things that were said to me, and how I felt in my own skin.  Complete strangers would go out of their way to smile or hold the door open for me.  There were people who would wait an extra fifteen seconds, just so they could hold the door me.  As I would walk to class, the people would stare at me just long enough so I would know their eyes were not just brushing past me, looking for a place to land, but noticing my existence.  Not only friends, but strangers, would compliment my appearance, with varying levels of inappropriate undertones.  My eyes, my hair, my skin, my clothes, my figure, my lips, my makeup.  It seemed like with my makeup, I was a worthy individual.  I felt put together and confident.  Consciously, I did not think my appearance was the most important part of my day, but upon further reflection, I can see that it was one of my priorities.  It took thirty minutes to apply all the various cosmetics, then there were the frequent stops to the bathroom to insure that everything was still intact, the touchups where something smeared or moved, and so on.  That was valuable time I never realized I was wasting.  To implement another layer to the experience, I posted an unedited, close up picture of my face to the social media networks Instagram and Facebook.  On Instagram, I received nine ‘likes’ and two comments (“beautiful” and a heart).  On Facebook, I received twenty-one ‘likes’ and zero comments, and I changed the photo to my profile picture.  It was easy to have this face represent my Facebook page for a week.

            The second week of the experiment was the core of the liberating act project.  I went completely makeup-less to classes, meetings, events, and to spend time with friends.  I did not tell anyone that I was purposely going bare faced for a project to push my comfort zone and come to terms with the beauty ideal I struggle against.  I did not want influence how they would act towards me, feeling like they were required to validate my appearance without makeup.  With my heightened awareness of how I was being treated, I felt invisible.  I felt unattractive and self-conscious.  I found myself trying to cover my face with my hands every chance I could.  It was as though people were looking through me instead of at me, like I was a form taking up space instead of a human being, and I was trying to appease them by hiding.  The difference in my treatment was dramatic.  People were not as friendly as they usually were.  No one complimented my appearance, or anything else for that matter.  I received such stereotypical remarks like, “Are you feeling okay?” “Wow, you must have been up late last night” and “Rough night?”.  It was disheartening to hear these comments not only from friends, but my parents.  Again, I posted an unedited, up close and personal picture of my bare face.  As expected, there was a dramatic dip in how the people judged my worth.  On Instagram, I received four ‘likes’ and zero comments.  On Facebook, I received twelve ‘likes’ and two comments (“This is beautiful” and “You are so beautiful without makeup”), and I changed the photo to my profile picture.  This was the most difficult aspect of the process, as I know how people scrutinize one another’s Facebook pictures, condemning them if they appeared less than perfect.

            There were many successes of this project.  I truly believe that I gained self-confidence in my appearance without makeup.  The first days of my makeup-less week were difficult and riddled with self-doubt, but by the end of the week, I was able to go about my daily life without a second thought of what was on, or not on, my face.  This project underscored the fact that makeup does not define my worth, and I am not going to let it.  This project was not about realizing my ‘natural beauty’, it was about knowing that I have other pieces of myself that are much more important than what color lipstick I am wearing. 

            The challenges of this experiment were obvious; not wearing makeup can be taxing on the self-esteem.  As stated above, the first few days were difficult, but going bare faced became progressively easier.  One challenge to the validity of the project is the issue of timeframe.  I believe this project would have been better served for myself last semester.  This semester, I was already going at least a few days a week with no makeup.  This was not because of some newfound confidence over winter break, but this semester was ridiculously busy, filled with late nights and even a few all-nighters.  I may be a self-conscious woman who likes her mascara, but I am not insane.  Another issue that presented itself was, during my makeup-less week, I had an interview.  I cheated and wore makeup on this day, because I felt I did not stand a chance getting the position if I wore no makeup.  This socialization on my part is not an individual issue.  Makeup, specifically in the work place setting, makes women seem more competent, likeable, put together, and attractive (Saint Louis 2011).  In this modern culture, there are the institutionalized norms of looking healthy and well rested in the workplace; women believe that without makeup they are not presentable (Dellinger and Williams 1997).  This construct ties back into my experience with being asked questions such as, “Are you feeling okay?”        

            I wanted to attempt this no makeup challenge as my liberating act because I knew it would be difficult for me, but that it would be worthwhile.  Until recently, I had assumed that I had a healthy relationship with makeup.  Once I decided upon going makeup-less for a week, and assessed the anxiety it produced within me, I realized just how much maturing that had to be done in my relationship with makeup.  My foremost reason for going bare faced was that I needed to become more comfortable in my own skin.  Even on mornings where I was running late or had four hours of sleep the night before, I would still make time to swipe on concealer.  Another goal through this simple experiment was demonstrating the power of makeup in society.  Society prefers women who wear makeup, but maintains strict guidelines for makeup use.  Women need to wear enough makeup so flaws are adequately covered, but they still need to look fresh and natural, not glamorous and overdone (Saint Louis 2011).  There are so many rules placed on women in every aspect of life, including makeup.  I wanted to help dismantle some of these societal constructs.  Whether I want to go bare faced or have red lipstick and a smokey eye at 8:00a.m., it is my choice.  Either of these scenarios does not make me less of a feminist, which is an important concept to keep in mind.  I can be a feminine feminist who is as informed and anti-oppressive as any other feminist is (Valenti 173). 

            Makeup falls under the broad category of the beauty ideal, which is intrinsically racist, heterosexist, ableist, and ageist, but the concept of makeup has its own implications on these societal constructs (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 211). Though makeup is a constant battle in my life, it is important for me to remember that makeup is made for me, white and female.  Women of color are oppressed under the same stringent beauty standards, but if they go into a makeup counter, they are faced with fifty shades of beige.  Colors are made to fit white skin and are flaunted by white models, or models of color whose skin has been dramatically lightened by Photoshop.  Makeup also serves as an ignorant marker for heterosexuality.  Women who choose not to wear makeup are thought to be lesbians as they are apparently not seeking male attention or taking time in their appearance (Dellinger and Williams 1997).  The other side of that argument is that non-heterosexual women who wear makeup are then assumed to be straight because of the so-called conformity to the heterosexual beauty standard.  This is a limiting and stereotypical view of sexuality in women.  While makeup is focused on women, men have a unique struggle with cosmetics.  Men are becoming increasingly conscious of their physical appearance, but they are given fewer outlets to find products to assist them in fitting the standard (Souiden and Diagne 2009).  The phrase ‘feminization of masculinity’ is becoming more prominent in today’s culture, producing the idea that the use of cosmetic products in linked with femininity, which is inherently negative (Souiden and Diagne 2009).  Men feel the pressure of the beauty ideal, but when they conform to this construct they are assumed to be homosexual and effeminate.              

While I have realized how makeup effects my self-esteem, I will not be tossing my fifty-dollar eye shadow pallets in the trash anytime soon.  Through this project, I have gained immense confidence in my natural look, but I still adore makeup.  I believe that makeup can be a valid form of self-expression, but one needs to have a careful and mature relationship with the products.  In saying this, I am acknowledging the issue that makeup has caused a large shift between women, if makeup can be empowering or if its only function is to oppress.  Some women realize the ‘need’ for makeup, but are burdened by the labor of it, making it oppressive in nature (Etcoff 2013).  Other women believe that makeup can be an empowering tool and choice to their femininity (Etcoff 2013).  I no longer feel like I need makeup to be acceptable in public, and I now go at least two days a week with no makeup on.  Even when I wear makeup now, it is usually concealer, blush, and mascara.  I have begun to feel just as confident in myself with no makeup as I do with a full-face of perfectly applied cosmetics.  I have realized, I can still be a good feminist and perfect my winged eyeliner.  It is important to realize that makeup stems of a patriarchal system that thrusts impossible beauty ideals for women and young girls to strive for, without implementing the same level of standards for men.  Problematic things can be liked as long as one is aware that wearing makeup goes beyond thinking that a certain lipstick color looks amazing on you (Valenti 57).  With this knowledge and growing self-confidence, I can have a healthier and more skeptical relationship with makeup; it does not have to be detriment to my self-esteem.           

           

Works Cited

Dellinger, Kirsten, and Williams, Christine L. “Makeup at Work: Negotiating Appearance Rules in the Workplace.” Gender & Society 11.2 (1997): 151-177. JSTOR. Web. 24 March 2014.

Etcoff, Nancy. “It’s What You Make of it.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 4 May 2014.

Kirk, Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. “Women’s Bodies and the Beauty Ideal.” Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 6^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. 209-214. Print.

Saint Louis, Catherine. “Up the Career Ladder, Lipstick in Hand.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 24 March 2014.

Souiden, Nizar, and Diagne, Mariam. “Canadian and French Men's Consumption of Cosmetics: A Comparison of Their Attitudes and Motivations.” The Journal of Comsumer Marketing 26.2 (2009): 97-109. ProQuest. Web. 24 March 2014.

Valenti, Jessica.  “Pop Culture Gone Wild.” Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters. Berekley: Seal Press, 2007.  41-59. Print.

Valenti, Jessica.  “I Promise I Won’t Say Herstory.” Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters. Berekley: Seal Press, 2007.  165-181. Print.