I recently watched a video by a famous beauty YouTuber in which she slammed what she called “make-up shaming” — women being criticised for wearing too much make-up.
This got me thinking about the flip side of the make-up issue — women being shamed for not wearing it, and by extension, for not caring about their skin or facial hair. Have you ever been told that you’d look much prettier if you just got your upperlip waxed? Or that you’d look less tired if you wore some eyeliner? Ever been given unsolicited advice about the large pores on your nose? And did you answer with a big NO THANKS to all of those?
Here’s a list of reasons why it’s absolutely OK to say no thanks to make-up and beauty products.
1. It can be really, really expensive.
Even if you avoid the really expensive, fancy stuff, buying make-up means spending your hard-earned money. Money that could be spent on better things such as books, shoes and ice cream. Don’t let anyone tell you that you need highlighter more than you need ice cream.
2. It hurts your skin.
Anyone with irritable skin can testify that dabbling with make-up or skincare can be a bit like Russian Roulette. You just never know what’s going to trigger an allergic reaction. For many women, it’s best to put down the proverbial gun and stop playing the game. Talking about pain... any kind of waxing literally hurts. A lot. I don’t blame anyone for not paying to feel pain.
3. You aren’t ‘girly’.
In one scene from the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club, the ‘basket case’ Allison Reynolds gets a makeover that turns her from grunge to girly. It’s pretty insulting to grungy ladies everywhere. There are no rules to being pretty so don’t be ashamed to rock the look that you feel most comfortable in.
4. You simply couldn’t care less.
Yup, that’s a good enough reason.
