Applying My Face

We are constantly bombarded by perfectly polished images of women.  This is seen through countless ads regardless the form of media you choose to consume. The women in these ads are poreless, wrinkly free, have perfectly applied makeup and look completely content with themselves. This feeling is at times not shared with the consumer. Very rarely do I actually feel like happy with myself, either face or body. It's even worse when I'm bombarded by this ideal perfection that the media uses to try and make me buy these countless products, many of which don't have the desired effect.

Creating this blog has allowed to vent my feelings concerning makeup and our ever endless fight against wearing it or going barefaced. I feel as though women are constantly being pressured more and more, especially from a young age, to wear makeup. Young girls begin to feel as though the only way to look attractive is to wear makeup. They begin to feel self-conscious when they don't and are led to believe they are ugly because of facial imperfections.

 Through my blog I want to be able to discuss  this suffocation I feel when I don't wear makeup as well as helping myself and others not feel they need to rely on makeup. But I also don't wish to make anyone feel bad about themselves because they wear makeup. The media already makes women feel guilty when they don't fit these unachievable and artificial standards. I think it's important to create different conversations and include individuals who are going through different experiences.

An issue that I discuss in my blog is the "Natural look".

 As I discuss in my blog, my problem with the natural look is how it's an artificial natural that is desirable.The trend and the name itself are contradictory. Basically the only way to achieve the look is through artificial means ie. makeup. And apparently my bare face isn’t good enough to pass as naturally pleasing.

I also have an issue with the fact that when we talk about “natural look”, it’s only a specific type of natural: flawless, poreless skin, pouty pink lips, and wide eyes accentuated by thick luscious lashes. Yeah, I don’t know about you but I most definitely don’t know anyone who wakes up and looks like this. This also reminds me of society’s so-called-acceptance of the curvy women. Individuals like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Scarlett Johansson are considered curvy. A specific type of curvy women is accepted by the media: full breasts, round hips, and a flat stomach. Once again  I personally don’t know any curvy women that look like this.

I also discuss my hatred towards tabloids and their apparent fascination with celebrities with no makeup.

My main issue with this particular subject is the fact that these sites choose to publish articles on celebrities being human beings. They choose to criticize them on being flawed and not living up to the image that they are associated with. 

Another problem I have with these articles is the adjectives they use in their headlines. They use words like "shocking" and "unbelievable"

Radar Online

Celebrity Toob

Complex.com

  Not to mention the caption they place under these photographs are critical and nothing less than mean.

When referring to Jennifer Love Hewitt

When talking about Goldie Hawn

 I also talk about  how there are also other individuals out there who have also felt conflicted in their feelings concerning makeup but they have also found that they feel makeup is a way to express themselves without feeling like they are hiding. These are the type of people I choose to look at. The type who have found their balance and who have found a way to wear makeup or not wear makeup and still feel confident. And sometimes they best way to achieve this is try to let go of what you hold when you wear makeup. Some of us wear makeup to feel confident but  that can also be achieved by not wearing any.

Akilah S. Richards discusses her feelings about wearing makeup in her article on Everyday Feminism.  She discusses her feelings about the phrase "putting my face together". To me this phrase sounds robotic, impersonal, just a task, something that needs to be done before leaving the house. It reminds me of putting on a mask and hiding behind it. Richards feels offended by this phrase and use to believe in the notion that learning how to "put on your face" was a right of passage for a woman. She continues to question herself about her choice and whether it is necessary to apply makeup in order to feel presentable or the final touch. Yet through her article she discusses how she  applies makeup for herself and not others, because she likes wearing bold lipstick and colorful bracelets.

Work Cited

Angiolillo, Vincent. "30 Shocking Photos of Hot Celebrities Without Makeup or Photoshop." Complex. N.p., 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

 Emily. "On Men Who Don't Like Women in Makeup." Xojane. N.p., 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2014

Estee  Lauder. 2013 Annual Report. New York, New York: Estee Lauder 2013. Estee Lauder Companies: Reports & Filings. N.p. 10 Nov. 2014.
<http://investors.elcompanies.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=109458&p=irol-reportsannual>

Garten, Belinda. "30 Fairly Shocking Pictures of Celebrities Without Makeup." Celebrity Toob. N.p., 11 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

L'Oreal. 2013 Annual Report.Paris,France: L'Oreal, 2013. L'Oreal Finances:Annual Report 2013.10 Nov. 2014

< http://www.loreal-finance.com/eng/annual-report >

Kilbourne, Jean. "Beauty...and the Beast of Advertising." Center for Media Literacy. Center for Media Literacy, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. 

"Nearly Unrecognizable! 20 Shocking Photos Of Stars Without Makeup." Radar Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

 Richards, Akilah S. "We Need to Stop Making Assumptions About Why Women Wear Make-Up -- Here's Why." Everyday Feminism. N.p., 05 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

Shiseido. 2013 Annual Report. Tokyo, Japan: Shiseido 2013. Shiseido Group: Annual Report.N.p. 10 Nov. 2014
<http://www.shiseidogroup.com/ir/library/annual/2013.html>