Because men don't wear makeup, they have no way of knowing just how long it takes for a woman to adequately apply some. They do not understand the nuances between liquid eye liner and a pencil. The infinite number of shades of eye shadow alone would cause many of them to roll their eyes in much the same way some do when invited to pick out the correct color of paint. How can there be so many shades of white, they wonder.
I could not wait to start wearing makeup. It is a young girl's rite of passage into the big girl world of whatever is considered fashionable. When I was growing up, Maybeline blue eye shadow was all the rage. Black mascara was all I could find so I too looked like I had gotten into a fight most of the time. The idea was to cover over the multitude of imperfections and give off this pale somewhat manikin-like aura that somehow represented beauty. I just did whatever was recommended in the fashion magazines. I knew with them as my teachers I could not go wrong.
By the time I got to college I had gotten the routine down to a science and a reasonable time limit, since I didn't want to turn into the girl we referred to as "Makeup Debbie" who would begin to apply her makeup as I headed off to class and still be working on it when I returned. The idea was to enhance our looks, not become enslaved keeping up a certain standard.
Of course I still remember the day a guy asked me why I wanted to look like a "china doll" hiding behind so much makeup. I wondered how well the foundation and powder concealed my humiliation. Taking a good long look in the mirror, I had to ask myself some serious questions.
Years into the future I would learn to wear even less makeup as demands of an active lifestyle including cycling and camping did not allow for it. By the time motherhood took over my life, I was fortunate if I could shower and brush my teeth. Wearing makeup was for those rare occasions when I got to go out without children or at least to church. I actually went ten days without a mirror once and there was great freedom in that. I came to understand that I wore makeup to cover my flaws. Without a mirror I could not be reminded of how imperfect I am. It is easier to wear makeup than have to deal with reality. That little something extra makes me feel more glamorous than life allows.
Then came the women who thought they would be brave and not wear makeup as a statement of vulnerability. I was impressed at their willingness to show their naked faces to the world so I thought I would join in. I remember greeting a friend at the door with absolutely no makeup on. Not even lip gloss. And predictably he did a double-take since he had never seen me like this before. He looked long and hard at the dark circles that always exist under my eyes and the rather blotchy skin I sometimes have, and said that of course, I should . . . look . . . like THIS . . . in my own home. What he meant was, wear some makeup next time!
Somewhere along the line I discovered a cosmetic company called Just For Redheads, which, in my opinion, is the answer to the needs of every redhead on the planet! They have helped me achieve my beauty goals by creating brown mascara which was what I had needed all along. And natural colors. Foundation light enough to actually match my skin instead of making me look as though I am ready for the showing right before the burial. Best of all: lipstick--a glorious assortment of colors, all of which are designed to make redheads look ravishing!
Because men don't wear makeup, they do not value the effort it takes, which is necessary in achieving that certain look they find so attractive. Makeup can also be somewhat expensive and because men don't wear it, they have no way to comprehend its worth. And though they say they like a girl who doesn't need any makeup, a natural beauty, what they mean is: they like a girl who LOOKS like she doesn't wear any makeup. But trust me, she does.
I could not wait to start wearing makeup. It is a young girl's rite of passage into the big girl world of whatever is considered fashionable. When I was growing up, Maybeline blue eye shadow was all the rage. Black mascara was all I could find so I too looked like I had gotten into a fight most of the time. The idea was to cover over the multitude of imperfections and give off this pale somewhat manikin-like aura that somehow represented beauty. I just did whatever was recommended in the fashion magazines. I knew with them as my teachers I could not go wrong.
By the time I got to college I had gotten the routine down to a science and a reasonable time limit, since I didn't want to turn into the girl we referred to as "Makeup Debbie" who would begin to apply her makeup as I headed off to class and still be working on it when I returned. The idea was to enhance our looks, not become enslaved keeping up a certain standard.
Of course I still remember the day a guy asked me why I wanted to look like a "china doll" hiding behind so much makeup. I wondered how well the foundation and powder concealed my humiliation. Taking a good long look in the mirror, I had to ask myself some serious questions.
Years into the future I would learn to wear even less makeup as demands of an active lifestyle including cycling and camping did not allow for it. By the time motherhood took over my life, I was fortunate if I could shower and brush my teeth. Wearing makeup was for those rare occasions when I got to go out without children or at least to church. I actually went ten days without a mirror once and there was great freedom in that. I came to understand that I wore makeup to cover my flaws. Without a mirror I could not be reminded of how imperfect I am. It is easier to wear makeup than have to deal with reality. That little something extra makes me feel more glamorous than life allows.
Then came the women who thought they would be brave and not wear makeup as a statement of vulnerability. I was impressed at their willingness to show their naked faces to the world so I thought I would join in. I remember greeting a friend at the door with absolutely no makeup on. Not even lip gloss. And predictably he did a double-take since he had never seen me like this before. He looked long and hard at the dark circles that always exist under my eyes and the rather blotchy skin I sometimes have, and said that of course, I should . . . look . . . like THIS . . . in my own home. What he meant was, wear some makeup next time!
Somewhere along the line I discovered a cosmetic company called Just For Redheads, which, in my opinion, is the answer to the needs of every redhead on the planet! They have helped me achieve my beauty goals by creating brown mascara which was what I had needed all along. And natural colors. Foundation light enough to actually match my skin instead of making me look as though I am ready for the showing right before the burial. Best of all: lipstick--a glorious assortment of colors, all of which are designed to make redheads look ravishing!
Because men don't wear makeup, they do not value the effort it takes, which is necessary in achieving that certain look they find so attractive. Makeup can also be somewhat expensive and because men don't wear it, they have no way to comprehend its worth. And though they say they like a girl who doesn't need any makeup, a natural beauty, what they mean is: they like a girl who LOOKS like she doesn't wear any makeup. But trust me, she does.
No comments:
Post a Comment