This painting doesn’t even need the accompanying creepy music…but the music is appropriate!

While there is nothing wrong with wearing makeup, I do find it deeply disturbing that so many women (old and young) feel the need to completely re-invent their appearance by spackling their skin and adding layers upon layers of makeup. I worked in the cosmetic industry for years and I really felt like a therapist to many of the women I applied and sold cosmetics to. They had so much self hatred over their appearance, it was simply sad.

Often the things they hated most were actually beautiful, just not in the way they wanted. I always tried to emphasize cleaning off the makeup, or using less, but so many women felt, more was better. I don’t feel you give your skin a chance to breathe or HEAL when it is so completely covered. I remembered alot of young girls and women who had pretty significant acne and I’d say 8 out of 10 cases would have drastically improved with less foundation and powder. I didn’t personally wear as much as alot of co-workers in the field, but was required to wear foundation. I would wash it off as soon as I got home, and man, did my skin feel better!

I feel we women have been sold so much garbage about how we should dress, what we should wear, how to stay youthful, how to be sexy…you name it…we have been brain-washed. I say ‘we’ because I also have fallen victim to these negative ways of thinking. I’m mostly on the other side of that now. I say mostly, because every once in awhile the self doubt and all the societal and social media ‘talk’ gets to me. I know many things are starting to change for the better for women, and there are many women who are becoming more conscious and aware of what drives them regarding self-image…etc…but we really have a LONG way to go.

I am FINNALLY at the point where I can honestly say: take it, or leave it. If someone doesn’t like you JUST AS YOU ARE, walk away and be thankful that they showed you that they are not worth your time and energy….then apply that time and energy (that you would have WASTED), to something that gives you joy or brings joy to someone else. Never change your appearance to please someone else, be sure you do it for the right reasons.

Makeup can be a good thing if it is used to ENHANCE, not COVER, features. I do realize it can be a great tool if you have scars etc, if you are not comfortable with them,(though sometimes scars can add to a woman’s beauty ,it depends…mostly on how you feel about you…) but even there, it is best to use cosmetics sparingly. I have to say as a woman, I am more comfortable in my skin at 52, than I ever was in my 20’s , 30’s or even 40’s. (that is…regarding ‘appearance issues’, I have other health issues which are a whole other story…but I digress….) I am not at my ‘peak’ looks-wise anymore by industry/society standards, but I could care less about that. When I was young my looks really brought me more problems in life than happiness….and frankly I had more than my share of creepy man stories….too often I felt quite scared or threatened and I did not know how to handle it. Looks may get you a pass into certain doors, etc…but there was usually a hidden agenda or some price was expected to be paid later on…. So, we all know the saying, if it looks too good to be true , it probably is (or if it walks like a duck, it probably is a duck) Thank goodness for the “ME TOO” movement…at least some bad behaviors are less acceptable now….certainly in the work place. I had SO many bad situations /experiences with male bosses/co-workers, it really effects your happiness…So, I’m glad there is less tolerance now for that. (No one needs that.

Anyways, the bottom line is, I enjoy going places with no makeup on , or just my lipstick. I enjoy not being as objectified as I was in my youth….(though even now, it happens…I’m always surprised and kind of pissed off when it does. I feel like I’ve done my time on that front and at my age I shouldn’t have to deal with it(then again, no woman should have to be made to feel uncomfortable or treated in a disrespectful/demeaning way). I have DEEP SYMAPTHY and feel very protective of all the beautiful young women out there that are basically targeted as prey by men. (and yes, I know there are many good men out there, (My brothers for starters), but there are way too many out there with twisted views of women).

So, after this long rant, I will post the article. Hopefully some women will read it and feel inspired to embrace their natural beauty more. I’m not saying ‘give up makeup’, just wear it as an accent, not a cover to hide behind. Also, you don’t HAVE to wear make-up or uncomfortable clothes and shoes….its one thing if you choose to, but never feel you have to. Men don’t, why should we?? I myself, do, love lipstick and brow pencil, those are the cosmetics I wear, as my brows are quite sparse and my face looks more alive with some lipstick….(I feel better with those 2 products if I’m going out of the house, but even there, I don’t feel it is necessary, I’d still go out without it if I wanted to).

Although we all want to look and feel our best ,at the end of the day, your looks are only your shell. Wear what flatters you or makes you feel really good, and enhance what nature has given you, but realize : ‘the best stuff inside’. (real beauty is an inside job…I do believe this). If you feel ok about who you are inside, it will shine out.

https://www.thelist.com/25291/happens-face-stop-wearing-makeup/

The following video might be too raw for some people, so only watch if you are ready to feel disturbed. There is so much truth in this video.

Quotes to Inspire, by Coco Channel:

The most courageous act is to think for yourself Aloud-:

Don’t spend time beating on a wall hoping to transform it to a door

Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself

I don’t care what you think about me, I don’t think about you at all

A girl should be two things, who and what she wants

Look for the woman in the dress, if there is no woman, there is no dress

My life didn’t please me, so I created my life

YOU WERE BORN AN ORIGINAL, DON’T BECOME A COPY

I got these online (actually tried them on and thought they looked good! I thought they looked chic…NOT! lol) What was I thinking??? Well, I can tell you one thing, I am really rockin’ the “Velma” look (“Scooby-Doo” cartoon) lol…or maybe “Where is Waldo?” =(childrens book character)? I’m glad I got a 2nd pair that are more attractive, but I will still wear these because I am a bit of a dork/nerd. lol They do make me laugh!

Update: Even more Velma-(ish) without my signature lipstick. I’m actually starting to like these glasses. Maybe I should be worried…lol…but there is something liberating about the dorky glasses and no make-up. I don’t even need to pencil in my sparse brows, as with these glasses it doesn’t matter. You can’t see my brows. I tend to just wear my lipstick usually, but I think these glasses might go better without lipstick. I doubt the character Velma would bother with lipstick, maybe that cartoon character is my new fashion inspiration…at least on those frequent days when I really could care less.