just once I want to see a good post critiquing makeup culture that doesn’t turn out to be made by some janky radfem blog
oh hey!! I’m not a janky radfem I can do it myself!
makeup culture is wack and normalizes a ludicrously high bar as the bare minimum women can do. I saw a “lazy"makeup tutorial the other day that listed 22 separate goddamn products. you’re supposed to buy and know how to use 22 different things on your face just for the privilege of being considered lazy and that’s uuuuuuh what’s the word? bullshit.
Really, five products could work, even 3. Just frame the face, eyes, lips, and you’re done.
0 products also works great
because I’m gonna be real here, the idea that 22 products is a minimum sucks but it’s really upsetting that any amount of makeup is the bare minimum at all
I would really just suggest some powder foundation, concealer, mascara and lipgloss/lipstick, or tbh just mascara works too, but that’s up to you
I’m sorry if I didn’t express this clearly enough in the original post but I’m not really looking for more concise makeup regiments. my intention was to point out how it’s Bad that makeup is considered a bare minimum at all, regardless of individual feelings on the matter
“But makeup makes some women feel better / more empowered!”
Consider why they felt bad about or disempowered by their appearance in the first place. Consider why the thought of leaving the house without even those five products on makes you uncomfortable enough that you recommend it to random women you encounter because you genuinely want to help them avoid feeling how *you* feel without makeup on in public.
There are things about makeup that are ABSOLUTELY AWESOME, but what makeup *culture* normalizes is (as said in the post above) that there’s a “bare minimum” a woman should be doing in the first place. That no woman’s face is fine to show to others just how it looks because their natural appearance is inherently flawed and in need of correction.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel pretty. It’s the fact that women are socialized to not feel pretty unless they have makeup on that we ought to be examining.
(And yes, it’s entirely possible to maintain the point of view that this is A Bad Thing while also appreciating amazing makeup jobs as the works of art that they are.)
I understand how in daily life even “lazy” makeup is A Lot and that’s upsetting. But I’m also going to point out some things about professional work environments that perhaps you haven’t taken into account:
If you’re going to be working in a “professional environment” and identify as a woman, you need some amount of personal care in your routine and, unfortunately, that means makeup. Enough to look like you care.
Men have to show up with fresh SHORT haircuts that we have to get done every two/three weeks, AND with facial hair carefully maintained; if it’s allowed at all; and shaving/trimming/proper skincare takes at least as long as a 15min makeup look that involves a light-coverage foundation, some eyeliner, mascara, and brushing your brows into shape. MAYBE a nude two-tone shadow if you’re quick and know how to blend similar shades easily. I can do it in ten if my kit is already out and I know what I’m doing, because I’ve practiced my Basic Face enough to know where everything is and how to apply it.
Women; barring a few cases; don’t have to worry about facial hair. They also don’t have to maintain a short cut unless it’s an aesthetic choice that THEY made. Men in professional settings can’t have hair past their ears most often, and even in “relaxed” environments generally can’t have it past their collar. There are no such rules for women. Women can also get away with one-piece outfits like a professional-looking jumpsuit, dress, or similarly constructed garment, while men in professional settings must wear at least two, potentially three or four depending on if a jacket and tie is required, and if they have to wear vests/waistcoats or undershirts. Do you know how long it takes to iron that many articles of clothing, or the hassle of dealing with a dry cleaner when most are closed by 6/7p which is a busy metropolitan area might be the earliest you can pick up your laundry when you account for traffic? A lot of menswear can’t just be tossed into the washer. Cuffs and collars break down, they get worn quickly, and then have to be replaced. And at 25$/shirt on sale, that adds up real damn quick. (So does the tailoring on a mens’ suit if you’re less than or more than Average Build.)
Men also don’t get to wear shorts in the summer, nor are we generally allowed to wear sandals in offices where women are allowed peeptoes at minimum. Rolling our sleeves is also at least frowned upon, if not outright forbidden, depending on the work place.
Yes, it takes a long damn time to apply your wings correctly so they match and yes, if you fuck it up sometimes you have to start over and that’s bullshit and I’m sorry. But 15 minutes in the morning to frame your face, even your skin tone, and look like you care is the bare minimum when it comes to professional self-presentation. And I assure you, men who aren’t on the fast-track to being fired spend at LEAST that long getting ready.
House Of Crows 