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This new idea though, No Make Up Mondays, I have mixed feelings about. While I do agree with some of the points it raises, I don't agree with the idea completely. Yes I do believe that young girls and women should be encouraged to feel happy in their own skin. I agree that the idea that you don't have to wear make up to be beautiful is something that more people should talk about and take to heart more than they do in our current climate. People should definitely be shown more that you don't need make up to be happy, to be loved, to be beautiful, that you don't have to rely on make up to get you where you want to go in life. But, even saying all that, I don't see make up as the enemy. In previous blogs, I've mentioned that I believe that before you change something about yourself because you don't like it, you should change the way you think about it. Make up, for me, falls rather more into the latter camp than the former. If you feel unhappy with the way you look, but when you put a bit of make up on feel completely satisfied and beautiful, then it's probably doing your self confidence more good than harm. I know people who don't wear a full face everyday, but do wear a layer of foundation to even out their skin tone, or mascara to make their eyes seem bigger or lipstick to add a little colour or whatever it is, and I know that some of these people would feel very uncomfortable going out in public without any make up at all. It's not that it's a barrier, or something to hide behind, but it's something that makes them feel more normal, less self conscious about their looks, more beautiful, and I don't-and won't-begrudge them it. I do think people can wear too much make up-if it's taking hours to put on every morning, even just to go to the corner shop and buy milk, and they have to sleep in it too because they can't let their boyfriend see them without make up on then they have a pretty serious (psychological) problem, but taking their make up away won't cure it.
I think No Make Up Mondays are, overall, a positive thing, but something that's going to be different for everyone, simply because of the nature of it. For people like me, who regularly do No Make Up Monday-Sundays (either because I don't get dressed for a whole week, or because I forget, or simply because I can't be arsed!) it's meaningless. If you're someone who uses make up just to gain enough confidence to feel good about the way you look then the thought of going without it is going to make you uncomfortable, and may be pretty terrifying for some. If you're someone who is already wondering if you wear too much make up, or want to set yourself a challenge, or want to see if anyone would notice, or just want to see what you look like without it then it's definitely something you should try-and I hope it makes you feel beautiful. If it doesn't though, then just don't do it again. While I definitely agree that no-one should feel like they have to wear make up in order to feel beautiful, to be successful, to get a boyfriend or any other reason, they should also never be made to feel like they have to do without too.
Whatever works for you to make you feel brilliant about yourself works for me too.
-Jenni-
While I can applaud the efforts by the organization, there's not a chance in hell I'd leave my house without makeup on. That being said, several days in a row often go by where I don't leave my house, so I don't wear makeup necessarily every day, and while I do wear a full face, I'm ready to leave, hair and makeup included, within an hour.
ReplyDeleteBut I fall into the "I'd be way too uncomfortable and self conscious" camp, and that's the opposite of what the campaign is meant for.
I think it's kind of sad because although the campaign has noble intentions the only people who are going to take part in it without it making them feel really uncomfortable are the ones like me who really aren't bothered or people who would be open to not wearing make up in the first place. Not everyone is, and that's where I think their good intentions fall down. There are better ways to promote feeling beautiful than taking away something that makes people feel good about themselves!
DeleteIts weird, as you get older you use less and less make up (well it is in my case)i literally take 5 mins to put my make up on in the morning..where as in my teens it was well over an hour and i was caked in the stuff...which ironically is when we dont really need it!! I think we just become so used to people seeing us in a certain way...and leaving the house without makeup would horrify some!! I do think its sad that such young girls feel the need to cake themselves in makeup to conform when they dont really need it....but its a vicious circle i cant ever see being broken!! I do like what the campaign stands for but dont think it works in the way they want it too!
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