How Does Make Up Make You Feel?
I wanted to get a better idea about how girls, around my own age, feel about make up. I know that I wear it mostly out of habit, and now that I wear it most days, I don't feel right without it. Im trying to learn to be ok with going out without any on, and embracing a natural face. I don't wear tonnes of make up, but I do feel that applying a few products make the world of difference, to my confidence mainly.
I also think that make up for me is a hobby. I love watching Youtube videos, and reading blog posts about all things beauty, leading to me writing my own. The world of make up and beauty has boomed in recent years. Make up brands are multi million pound companies, all fighting for our custom. Just like fashion, make up has trends and seasons, and girls (and boys) are following it religiously. There is even such a thing as a 'No Make Up, Make Up Look' meaning wearing makeup, but making it look like you haven't applied any, and look this way naturally.
More and more people are making make up their careers, whether thats applying make up to models, or writing a blog about it. Make up, is becoming a huge business, and most of us buy in to it on a daily basis. But I wanted to know how it made us feel when we apply it, and when we don't have any on. I think that people feel different, but all have the same insecurities. I do believe it is a self esteem problem for most girls, who want to hide and cover up something they don't like.
So I wrote on my blog, and on Facebook asking for girls to tell me what they felt. I knew this way I could reach my target audience, young girls who enjoy make up and beauty. I wanted to get an idea what the main issue was, and if any of the girls would leave the house without it on.
I got different replies, varying in reasons...
- Makeup to me is almost like a daily habit... You wake up shower and put it on! And it makes you feel 'ready' for the day. Without it I feel a mess, ugly and plain. I've always wore makeup from a young age (due to dancing) but never used to wear it for school or anything. As I older everyone started to wear it so it just happened. Now I won't leave the house unless I'm hungover or going to the gym without it.
- I never usually wear make up of a day so that when I wear make up of a night I look different/feel more confident/and its part of my night out getting ready and taking my time doing my make up.
- I wear make up because I love wearing it, as I feel more of a women and much prettier... although I don't have complex and would go out without wearing make up... I prefer to wear make up when I am going out to meet people I know.
- I wear makeup because I hate my skin it's so freckled and my skin is quite red too. I also feel prettier with it on.
- I wear it a lot with being ill, because otherwise I look really sickly and pale. It makes me feel healthier and more confident even if I just look better. Like if I look ok I'm not poorly.
- I feel prettier when i wear makeup, if I'm having a bad day I put makeup on as kind of a mask. I've realised I'm less likely to cry if I have my makeup on.
- I wear makeup to cover my dark circles under my eyes and my redness on my cheeks! And it makes me feel more confident and not so ghostly looking.
- It gives me more confidence when I go out even when I'm just nipping to the shop, also makes me feel more normal and more prettier as I feel/think I look rough and run down without it.
I did have one reply from someone older than the rest. She is in the same generation as my mum, I think this is the reason for a different answer. I definitely think women in different age groups have a different relationship to make up.
- I don't wear it for 99% of the time. I'm me, with or without it. I believe that people should love you for who you are, not what you think you should be.
I wish we could all have this attitude towards make up, and our selves in general. I know personally, if I had never started to wear make up, or been made aware of it, I wouldn't feel the need to wear it. It is a cultural thing in my own generation, and I don't think it will change any time soon. I hope to further look at this idea in my own work.
I personally have recently been trying to wear less make up. During this project I have tried to understand my own feelings towards wearing make up, and try to go out bare faced. I don't want make up to take over my happiness. This is why I want to look at the relationship women have with make up, and how it affects them.
