Madeup Makeup
Header by Sydney Hanson
Makeup, as a collection of tinted creams and powders, is an ingrained part of society, and a contentious one at that. If you watch a TikTok tutorial of somebody recording their “day-to-day makeup routine,” their comments will be flooded with complaints that the artist is wearing makeup for the “wrong reasons” or that they are wearing “way too much.” Inevitably there will also be responses to these comments that say something along the lines of “makeup is art” or “makeup is a form of self-expression” to defend cosmetic use and the person applying it. Although it is more overtly controlling in the first set of criticizing comments, I think we should all consider why this has become normalized discourse.
Recently, I came across a video of a woman, doing her daily makeup routine, discussing why the “self-expression” argument is unnecessary – and might even be perpetuating a norm that seeks to control women. She explained that every time we justify our use of concealer or mascara by saying it is an art form, we are admitting that the use of makeup requires justification. The claim that makeup is an art form is compelling because it bestows makeup with a higher purpose – not unlike a painting. When you say you use makeup because it is a form of self-expression, it almost makes it seem less “offensive” because it is compared to something like fashion choices or art preferences, which people are less likely to deny. I completely agree that makeup can be an art form and a form of self-expression, but I disagree that it must be.
As demonstrated by thousands of makeup influencers producing millions of unique makeup looks, there are nearly infinite ways to use makeup creatively. Even if the makeup look is incredibly simple or minimal, this choice is an equally legitimate form of self-expression. I think the woman’s video just made me pause to think about why we feel the need to justify makeup as this higher art form. Why can’t we wear makeup for the sake of wearing makeup?
Just as we would put on a particular pair of pants that we think fit us well and are flattering, I think makeup can be used because we like the way a certain product looks on us. This isn’t to say that makeup is what makes you attractive, but if somebody wants to wear it just for the sake of wearing makeup or to make themselves feel better, we shouldn’t demand justification. If I want to wear super glamorous, dramatic makeup, I do not think this implies that I am using makeup as a crutch to make up for insecurity, nor is it necessarily because I use makeup as a higher art form that I am striving to improve. Maybe I am wearing this glamorous makeup look merely because I think it looks good on me. Maybe I am wearing concealer on a pimple because I prefer how it looks. This doesn’t hurt anybody, or even seem notable, so why are we having to explain ourselves?
I will acknowledge that the internet is not known for people keeping opinions about others to themselves, but this woman’s video made me stop to think about how I think about makeup in my daily life. For me, claiming that I use makeup as an art form seems like a bit of a stretch – I use it because I like the way it looks on me and I see it quite distinctly from other creative outlets that I use to express myself. I guess that choice or view is a form of self-expression, but I don’t think that must mean that I should have to explain myself. Makeup can indeed be an art and form of creative self-expression, but I don’t think it has to be.
Edited by Cordelia Jamieson
