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Getting healthy, working out, having a good appearance, hygiene, self-improvement, education, career, healing trauma, learning assertiveness and boundaries, are all aspects of what FDS teaches to level up. This includes wearing makeup, which can and will be a part of this process for many women in their journey to level up and attract and expand their dating pool of men.
But I wanted to make this post to articulate that although women, myself included, may in many instances choose to participate in wearing making (eyeliner, blush, lipstick, foundation, contouring, etc) and other cosmetic practices, wearing making is in no way liberating, a form of “self-expression” or an artform.
These are cultural practices that we as young girls are socialized into. We are bombarded, since childhood, with advertisements and cultural messages that make up is just a natural inclination for women. That women look best with some make up on. The advertisements we see are of women with dolled up, looking their best, with red lips and long lashes. These messages teach us that we should want to look like the women in these adds if we want to get attention or be of value. Wearing make-up becomes a bonding activity between mom and daughter or with friends. It’s so pervasive that any critique sounds like an attack on our identity or our person.
But make up is a multi-billion-dollar industry that feeds on the securities of young girls and women. That may have us investing so much time in that we may take 2-3 hrs just to get “our face on” before leaving the house. Women are exposed to literally pounds of toxic chemicals over their lifespan because of make-up. There are consequences for women for not living up to ‘beauty standards’ interpersonally and at work.
So this is not a post to persuade you to stop wearing make-up. By all meanings, if wearing some makes you feel good, go for it. We’ve had years of socialization to adopt this belief. If wearing make up gets you respect at your company, do so. If the profession you want to enter “requires” a professional look for women, follow through. If wearing make-up allows you to have more dating options, then I’m all for it.
But we don’t have to believe the argument from libfems or the make-up industry, that make up is ‘empowerment’ , that’s its ‘self -expression’. There are real consequences for women who don’t live up to these beauty standards and for women who are perceived wearing too much make up. Nothing so culturally pervasive, dominating, and carrying such negative consequences for women can be labeled ‘self-expression’ or an ‘artform’.
It's important we are critical of messages that label anything pushed on women as ‘empowerment/agency/self-expression/. We can’t allow messages that reflect the interest of men or of companies to take away our critical faculties on understanding power dynamics. We can engage in cosmetic practices while understanding completely that they are also collectively problematic but personally useful.
I find libfems get very defensive when you point out their choices like makeup are not made in a vacuum. They'll plug their ears and yell "LALALALA I'M DOING IT FOR ME LALALA" and refuse to critically analyse where that choice is coming from. Makeup is fine. You're making a choice to participate in performative feminity, but if it's low risk and high reward for you, do you. Just own it and don't pretend your choices are untainted and twist it into being "feminist".
If you can believe makeup, posting thirst traps, meaningless sex is feminist then you'll be manipulated into believing anything is (see how feminists went from prostitution, porn = exploitation to prostitution, porn = empowering)
If it was empowering, men would do it
I don't find makeup empowering and i can see how it can be problematic, but i don't get how it's not self expression or an art form. There's different styles of makeup and the avant garde/editorial style is literally art on the face lol.
You gotta live your life authenticly you. No fucking compromises. I like lipstick because it takes no effort. It's cheap, easy to reapply and brings out the colour and features of my face. It just sits there and I check it after I eat. Foundation is torture. Might be my ADHD but not scratching my face is not an option. You can also feel it on your skin ugh. I got lucky in the skin gene lottery though. I don't wear or use anything uncomfortable. Period. I wish everybody had the opportunity to live like that. Cotton dresses, loose thights that feel like pyjamas, no bra cause small boobs and I hate them, extremely comfortable sneakers that I can walk miles in and the list goes on. My main aim is being comfortable and ready for any adventure at any time.
My mom never wore any make up. I was experimenting with make up when I was a teen/young adult, but know when I'm in my early 30s I don't have a need for it at all. I think it's connected.
As a Black woman I wear makeup so I’m deemed safe by both men and women. This is especially important for me since I live in a majority white area. Looking done up is the difference between being followed around a store by a white sales clerk (typically a woman) or being treated like a human.
Both men and women value beauty. Yes, it’s not free from the male gaze but it’s important to examine other reasons women might have to wear it.
A good skin care routine and a good haircut will go a long way.
The "makeup is an art form" argument has always been suspect to me. I mean, it's an art form that you wash off at the end of the day, so I'm not sure how productive that is. Why not use those art skills on something tangible to hang on the wall/give as gifts/sell online? There are a lot of women doing "resistance art" with crochet, knitting, quilting, embroidery, murals, etc.
TBH, lately it seems like all the actress & models look the same, and I think it's because that contouring style has taken over. I love different faces, unique faces all faces! I don't want every woman to "fix her flaws" with makeup. Who says your face is flawed?
A good rule of thumb is to think about opportunity costs. When you are spending money on makeup, what *aren't* you doing with that money? When you are spending time applying, reapplying and taking off makeup, what *aren't* you doing with that time?
One commenter here said that she has to wear makeup or she will get followed around stores. That is so gross and awful. I'm sorry that happens to you, and please disregard #1-4 above.
If you don't want to wear it, don't. But I fond ot arrogant to presume to tell other women it's not an art form. If I use it as a creative artform, then it's art for me. I'm sick of women who are black, or don't wear makeup, or are disabled or whatever, crapping on other WOMEN for the way we dress and look or for their "pretty privilege". We live in a society. How we present ourselves matters. Can we just agree to get men to treat us well and with respect and dignity, even if we decide to walk around naked with a clown nose on ? That would be great.
What youre suggesting is that if all eomen bind together to be solitary in deciding to do what YOU want them to do, thay we can MAKE men treat us better? Through our own actions? We can reject the cultural trappings of womanness and suddenly, well be worthy of their respect? No. Others LIKE it. Honestly, this is just jealousy shrouded in intellectualism.