Makeup
Years ago I went in to work one day without any makeup, and the co-workers who noticed said I looked eleven years old. The ones that didn't thought maybe I was sick, because I was so "pale."
But I decided to try again. For the last two or three weeks, with one exception, I've not worn makeup other than lipstick. And no one at work or among friends has said much. One friend said "you're so blonde!" in a very positive way. Another said I look like Joni Mitchell.
I am a natural blonde and my eyebrows and eyelashes are completely blonde. I typically have worn mascara, eyebrow pencil, foundation, eyeliner pencil, and lipstick. So, not wearing the eye makeup gives me a rather different look.
It also means I get fifteen minutes back in the morning, and can cry at movies or rub an itchy eye without affecting my appearance. And I don't seem to get blobs of makeup in my eye that are annoying, irritating or vision-obstructing any more.
I tried to think of a way to characterize the difference. With the makeup, I look like a princess. Without it, I look like a queen.
I think I can live with that.
But I decided to try again. For the last two or three weeks, with one exception, I've not worn makeup other than lipstick. And no one at work or among friends has said much. One friend said "you're so blonde!" in a very positive way. Another said I look like Joni Mitchell.
I am a natural blonde and my eyebrows and eyelashes are completely blonde. I typically have worn mascara, eyebrow pencil, foundation, eyeliner pencil, and lipstick. So, not wearing the eye makeup gives me a rather different look.
It also means I get fifteen minutes back in the morning, and can cry at movies or rub an itchy eye without affecting my appearance. And I don't seem to get blobs of makeup in my eye that are annoying, irritating or vision-obstructing any more.
I tried to think of a way to characterize the difference. With the makeup, I look like a princess. Without it, I look like a queen.
I think I can live with that.
Good for you. I stopped wearing make-up in my early twenties because it aggravated a skin condition. I have a rule now that I only wear it for war or celebration. Christmas time counts as both so this year I wore the stuff for three days in a row. I still hate it. a) it made me look 10 years older and b) my face still feels like it's on fire days afterward. If I had my way the stuff would be mostly outlawed.
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Thanks, Emma!
I did put on makeup one day last week. It didn't make much difference, except that I looked older, and both of those things surprised me.
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I taught a cultural anthropology class at the School of the Art Institute this semester. In general, the students were much more interested in the material than my students at other schools, and they were particularly keen on talking about the construction of gender.
As a rule, I don't wear make-up (I, too, do the "special occasion" thing), and I don't have a "hair style" (many is the stylist who has been cut off at the knees when I've said that if their proposal involves anything more than washing and brushing my hair, I'm out).
For the second of the classes on gender, I decided to dress up in "girl drag": I wore make up, a dress, high-heeled boots, etc. Every single student said with surprise, "Wow, you look really nice today." When I revealed the point of my appearance on that day, their feelings ranged from guilt to defensiveness to complete despair at ever getting to the bottom of the whole thing. Made for really interesting discussion.
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I thought, without the makeup, that I wouldn't get the level of smiles and positive attention I am used to. In fact, it made little difference.
But I think it would be different if I laid off the lipstick. Especially since I do favor bright intense colors. And I still have the chemically-enhanced bright blonde hair, too.
This all makes me think about how much of my personal identity is wrapped up in being "pretty." I've spent a lot of time and money on it. Is it worth it? Is it harmless fun, or am I just a willing accomplice to oppression?
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I taught a cultural anthropology class at the School of the Art Institute this semester. In general, the students were much more interested in the material than my students at other schools, and they were particularly keen on talking about the construction of gender.
As a rule, I don't wear make-up (I, too, do the "special occasion" thing), and I don't have a "hair style" (many is the stylist who has been cut off at the knees when I've said that if their proposal involves anything more than washing and brushing my hair, I'm out).
For the second of the classes on gender, I decided to dress up in "girl drag": I wore make up, a dress, high-heeled boots, etc. Every single student said with surprise, "Wow, you look really nice today." When I revealed the point of my appearance on that day, their feelings ranged from guilt to defensiveness to complete despair at ever getting to the bottom of the whole thing. Made for really interesting discussion.
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I haven't worn makeup much ever. I'm 57 now and I don't even wear lippy. I do colour my hair, though, but in a really obvious way. This isn't to cover grey - there isn't much of that - but because my hair colour has darkened and gone dull since my thirties and makes my skin look dull and muddy. So I'm not entirely without vanity!
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If without having make-up will make you look like a queen, then I envy you. :) I apply make-up 5 days a week and I can't seem to avoid wearing it.
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Is it your self-impression, or something others say to you?
I ask because, a few years ago, I went to work without makeup, and several people asked if I was okay. That didn't happen this time. I don't know if it's being older. Perhaps no one cares if an older woman doesn't look made up!
And I'm not totally makeup-free. I still wear lipstick.
I've been trying to quantify the queen thing I said. The mental picture I get is of Queen Victoria, red haired and pale.
As we get into middle age, our hair is grayer and our skin typically gets darker. Our natural colors typically become more subtle, cheeks less pink or red, and there is a difference even in our eyes. For someone with dark hair that's going grey, even if they dye it, there's less of a bright contrast between hair and skin. Our lips actually shrink, too, so whatever color they are, and usually it's less pink or red, there's just less of them to see.
I found an interesting article addressing the skin tone issue here. As women age, the skin becomes both darker and less evenly colored.
And now that I analyze this, I realize that the reason I always noticed something "different" about Mariah Carey is that she looks young, yet she's made up in tones of gold and her hair is gold, so there's little contrast among her features.
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