Photo from: The Hollywood gossip.com
If you have Twitter then you may have heard about the
attention circulating around a before and after photo of a glamorous makeover. The
photos have stirred up controversy and debate about whether or not makeup is
good or bad. If you have not heard about it or seen these photos you can find
them by clicking HERE
I think the main problem people have with the photos is that
it represents what people are suppose to look like in society today rather than
what they actually look like. Some comments in support of the photo claim that
makeup can make “normal” or “ugly” girls look pretty, and that with the magic
of makeup you can no longer tell what a person really looks like.
I can see how these views would oppose makeup; women should
feel beautiful regardless of having a face heavily cloaked in cosmetics and
know that beauty is not the factor that defines who you are. People who judge their
self worth based on looks and the opinions of others cannot be content with
themselves because beauty is subjective. No matter how hard you try or how much
makeup you pat on you won’t be attractive to every single person you come across
and you can’t please everyone. Ideally women should do what makes them feel
great and look the way they want; not to impress others but to enhance their existing
feelings of confidence and positive self worth.
Completely changing the way a woman looks to make her more
presentable for the public is not a new concept. Magazine ads are always
trimming inches off thighs; erasing fine lines and making excess skin disappear.
I have no idea if the woman who participated in this makeover was happy or felt
good about herself, but I do know that no matter what you look like on the
outside you are still essentially you.
There are many reasons women may not be happy with their
looks or body, and those reasons could stem from many different experiences,
but to address those issues and change that thought process you have to first
get to the root of the problem which I doubt is makeup. People should have a
sense of realistic expectations. Every day we are bombarded with misleading airbrushed
images that are impossible to live up to and achieve. Self worth is a mindset; it
is about knowing who you are and liking and accepting who you are with or without
makeup.
Dressing well, looking polished, wearing makeup and putting
your best self forward can boost your confidence and there is nothing wrong
with wanting to look your best. Not every woman who decides to contour her
nose, define her cheek bones and wear lipstick has low self esteem or is hiding
behind her makeup. I wear makeup because I like it. I wear it to enhance my
features, to add some variety and color to my face and to have fun with the way
I look. Makeup can be artistic, enhancing and creative it is not always a mask
that aims to make us all more presentable to the world or hide who we are. If
you are using it for those reasons then your issues do not reside within the
use of makeup but within yourself.
