Alicia Keys’ no makeup initiative has been causing quite the discussion lately. For the most part, the singer is being praised for her decision to show off her natural beauty and honesty.
Alicia Keys’ no makeup initiative has been causing quite the discussion lately. For the most part, the singer is being praised for her decision to show off her natural beauty and honesty. The meaning behind her decision comes from her perception that women are expected to meet several beauty ideals.
I, myself, have some mixed feelings towards the no makeup initiative. On one hand, I feel that it is amazing that she made this decision, since she is inspiring the youth to not be afraid to be unique. On the other hand, I cannot help but feel annoyed about makeup being perceived as a tool solely meant to cover us up.
At some point in life, we all deal with insecurities. If you are anything like me, yours developed in the early teenage years. As a result, certain trends have contributed to our timidities as well. Today, some celebrities are giving in to the societal pressure by undergoing plastic surgery. Often, when we admire celebrities, we tend to follow their actions in order to accomplish something that we perceive as one of their beautiful physical traits. With this is in mind, I appreciate the no makeup initiative of Alicia Keys. The youth should learn to stop following the crowd and to develop their own unique style.
Alicia Keys’ no makeup initiative is often misunderstood.
Via Twitter, Keys cleared up her stance by stating she is not totally against makeup, but prefers not to cover herself up anymore. My question is, does that mean that we are intentionally concealing something about ourselves?
My friends are a group of women with various thoughts and beliefs, and we all like wearing makeup. The application of cosmetics is a fun activity to us. It is a moment of self-pampering.
I have some friends who suffer from acne and have decided against wearing makeup simply because the products might further deteriorate the health of their skin. Other friends choose to apply makeup to minimize the appearance of their breakouts. This is an emphasis that makeup is truly a multipurpose tool.
In my opinion, wearing makeup does not necessarily reflect a yearn for trying to hide imperfections. Rather, it can help us accentuate the features of ours that we find flawless.
In order to provide fair insight on why some women still decide to wear makeup, I asked some women in the office for their take.
“It is really the finishing touch to my outfit. I love rocking the all black look with some bright red lipstick and winged eyes”
“I have the worst acne ever, and I do not feel comfortable going out of my house without makeup. I feel that people keep staring and ask questions about it.”
“During the morning, I look like a zombie. Makeup makes me look awake. I guess, maybe I should start going to bed on time.”
“To be honest, I partied a lot yesterday–I do not want my employer to see how tired I actually am. I mean, I look like a panda with these dark circles!”
“I don’t always wear makeup–it depends on whether I have time and if I am in the mood.”
“I just enjoy applying makeup during the morning because I love pampering myself to be even more beautiful. I like to accentuate the strong features on my face.”
“I am a very vibrant person–some like to show it through their outfits, and some love to show it with their makeup. I am part of the latter group.”
To sum it up
Clearly, women have different reasons for choosing to wear–or not wear–makeup. I believe we need women like Alicia Keys to continue to inspire our youth on staying informed about the unfairness of beauty ideals. However, we all should embrace our unique features in whatever way we please. It is important to remind ourselves that wearing makeup is a personal decision, whether it is meant to intentionally conceal a feature or accentuate it.
