Alicia Keys drew a lot of attention for going to the VMAs without any makeup. She’s since clarified that she did it for herself and that she’s not anti-makeup for others, tweeting “Y’all, me choosing to be makeup free doesn’t mean I’m anti-makeup. Do you!” I like that. Her husband, Swizz Beatz, later posted an Instagram video to defend Alicia against people trolling, which is somewhat inevitable on social media unfortunately. He said “Think about it, this is deep. Somebody’s sitting at home mad, because somebody didn’t wear makeup on their face… You can do whatever you want to do, she didn’t tell y’all to wear no makeup.” Swizz and Alicia are not my favorite people (most of you know why) but I can get behind them on this issue and I like that they are making a united front.
It’s been a trend for women to post photos to social media and do photoshoots sans fards (that’s the first time I’ve ever used that term) but apart from Alicia I can’t think of other celebrities who regularly go without makeup on red carpets – except maybe for Gwyneth Paltrow, but that’s only been at smaller events. Nicole Richie revealed in a new interview with People that she rarely wears it, and explained why. I’ve seen her with makeup on at many events, but apparently she doesn’t like it and says that she doesn’t feel like herself with it.
Your skin is amazing what’s your secret
I stay away from makeup because it clogs my skin. I have dry skin so I moisturize all the time. I just this year seriously getting into sunscreen, been warned about it [for] 15 years.So you really don’t wear makeup?
I wouldn’t say that I’m against it because I know people that really get joy and feel the most like themselves when they put on makeup. I feel the most like myself when I don’t have any on so that’s the road I go down.What’s one thing you know now you wish you knew in your 20s?
Woo. Many things. Number one not to over tweeze my eyebrows. Always wax your legs, don’t shave. Eventually you won’t have any hair on your legs.
I have tried to wax my legs as she recommends and it’s way too painful, but she surely gets it done at a fancy boutique with numbing cream or whatever. When I hear that makeup clogs her skin I think that she’s just using the wrong products. I have the opposite problem to Alicia and Nicole, I don’t feel like myself when I’m not wearing makeup and I wear it every day. It’s a personal choice though, and I like this trend of celebrities wearing less makeup or no makeup and doing whatever makes them comfortable. I also like that they’re acknowledging that some people like to wear makeup, it’s not like they’re dictating that anyone else go makeup free. You’ll pry my mascara out of my cold dead hands.
Oh and if you check Getty you can see that Nicole wears makeup to most events. She’s like Gwyneth Paltrow in that she only goes without makeup occasionally. She looks lovely either way.
I mean, she looks lovely most of the time.
photos credit: Getty and Instagram
She looks cute with or without and if she’s more comfortable without, go ahead. Why not? I don’t know why this is a thing at all. I love makeup and from looking at my bathroom you’d think I’m pulling a Kardashian every day of the week. I’m not. But yeah, try to take my mascara and learn to live in pain.
Having said that, good, light makeup does not clog your skin unless your skin is severely sensitive and even then there is most likely a product it will tolerate or even like. This idea that makeup stuffs your pores full of gunk is crazy to me. Makeup has come a long way. Of course, if you do pull a Kardashian/Instagram look all the time, you make have issues.
I think Alicia Keys put off some people because there is such an air of smugness about her that – to me – seems to have appeared together with her new look. I see Nicole without makeup and find it refreshing, I see Alicia and … I don’t know. It very much looks like she wants to send a message. I could be wrong but this was my issue with the bare-faced appearances lately.
It’s a thing because so many people seem aghast that a woman would NOT be wearing makeup. So many people were like “omg Alicia Keys didn’t wear makeup on the red carpet!!! why not??!?” like she was obligated to for some reason. The sight of a woman’s natural coloring and un-enhanced features was a thing. How dare she step out in public “not looking her best”. Because of course her “best” means fixing the flaws in her face and enhancing the features we have decided are attractive. Even on this site there were comments of “she’s pretty, but…..”
I wish it wasn’t a thing. It’s stupid and petty. I don’t wear makeup except for the occasional bit of mascara when I’m feelin’ fancy, and personally I don’t care one way or the other what other women do, but I do feel the immense pressure women get to look a certain way.
This flaw, you know, this thing that naturally occurs on your face, well, it’s ugly and you should do something about it. Here’s a product! And here’s another one! You sure you don’t want it? You would really look your best with it. You’re so pretty, well, no you’re not because (flaw), but you could be. Just buy this product…… I’m sick of that. I wish it wasn’t “omg so brave” to go against it but that’s what we’ve come to.
Honestly though, the shock and horror is aimed at the celebrity. I’ve never encountered that in “real” life. Women wear makeup. Women go without. At home, at work, at parties, in the grocery store. I’ve never witnessed that this was a thing. Yes, sure, the beauty industry says and does all those things to us women (and increasingly to men) and I’m sure it influences how we view ourselves. But when I go out and women wear don’t wear makeup, that’s not … a “thing”. Ever.
It depends on where you go. I got all kinds of side eye for only wanting to wear mascara at my wedding, the closest us plebs generally get to the red carpet. “But you want to look your best….” That’s right, I do, hence I’m going to make sure my eyelashes show up in pictures, everything else is fine. I’ve been told many times that it’d be “so easy” to cover up those dark circles under my eyes without even considering that perhaps I don’t care about them. The idea that I wouldn’t want to cover them is foreign, because they are a “flaw” and therefore shameful.
It’s not so in your face in real life, but the pressure is definitely there.
Back in the day make-up had the most overtly toxic ingredients such as mercury! Many women who wore it daily aged with very sallow ashy looking skin and lips especially. I was always too busy to A. sit still to put on a ton of make up every single day and B too sweaty before work or any event to apply it anyway. As a result I look much younger than women who applied it daily, plus a lifetime of fitness has given me tighter skin with an healthy glow. Make up should be used for photo shoots and special events- otherwise it ruins the complexion and is full of poison.
+1,000 to Wren.
The way the beauty industry profits from making women feel insecure about their own features… it’s beyond sad. I wear very little make-up because I don’t want to be part of that. Or give the cosmetic industries much of my money. It helps that I hate how foundation etc feels on my skin (smothered), so I don’t go there.
Each to their own, though. I just wish more women felt confident to forego some of the pancake look.
I’ve never worn make up maybe lip gloss when i go out but that’s it and it’s a personal choice because when I was smaller and I’m 45yr old I remeber seeing a very famous modeI without makeup and she did not look attractive and looked ruff so I mad a conscious choice that I never wanted to look that way. Its a personal choice plus I feel the more makeup you were the older you look. Personal choice. I get a lot of compliments not on my skin because I Have flaws but compliments on how young I look all the time and I think that’s because I don’t were. Makeup.
I think the word “clog” is not what she truly meant. In my case, make-up makes my skin feel smothered and unable to breathe so I don’t wear it very often.
I think she’s very pretty without make up.
GOOP looks like an entirely different person without make up.
I agree – Nicole is lucky. Though, I’m sure she can afford amazing skin care products and things like that, which make it a lot easier to look great without makeup.
I work in an office. I swear I don’t even want to know the results of an air-quality test in this building. Yesterday some electricians were running cables in the ceiling tiles above my desk and I had a nice coating of dust over everything including myself. They replaced the carpeting last year and it was even worse. Everything was coated in a thick layer of grimey dust. I ended up breaking out in hives.
I’ve always had less than stellar skin though. Stubborn acne – though not as bad as some people’s. But it’s never slowed down too much even now that I’m hitting the late 20’s. I’ve started to make a point to take better care of my skin now, even though I do wear makeup. I try to at least use lighter products now, but I won’t go to work without at least a small amount to even out my skin tone. I’m soooo pale though, I look like death without a little help from bronzer or blush.
goop has the most sun damaged ravaged skin, it’s painful to see. she used to have super pretty skin when she was younger, i just recently rewatched the talented mr ripley and her skin was so nice. she’s the poster girl for what not to do with your skin lol
Agree. I’m one of those persons who manages to look worse with makeup and I hate the way it feels on my skin. I have an amazing complexion and expressive eyes that I used to hate until I grew up and realized they are complimentary. I never wore makeup as a teen because my mom was convinced it would ruin our skin. But the thing is I love makeup and can easily spend an entire hour or two watching makeup tutorials on youtube, But anytime I’m tempted to buy a ton of makeup and learn how to use it someone stops me and compliments me on my skin or tells me they were surprised once they were up close to me that they realized I don’t have on any product. That is a blessing no one should take for granted. I had mild acne as a teen and a bout of dermatitis in my 20s but that’s about it. On special occasions I will wear this amazing shade of red lipstick by Dior and I feel like Cinderella at the ball.
A plastic surgeon complimented me for having great skin. and I’m 40. Every once in a while, I might put on a little mascara and lip gloss. For the most part, I don’t wear any makeup. I couldn’t care less what others do, except that some get carried away with it when they shouldn’t.
I use the Physicians’ Formula light concealer stick to cover up a few imperfections on my face, eyebrow pencil and lipstick. Gone are the days of mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow. If they can’t stay on the eyes, they shouldn’t be there in the first place.
wear make up. Don’t wear make up. It’s totally up to the individual. But don’t say you don’t wear any make up when it’s obvious you wear a little bit.
I feel like this is about to be turned into yet another competition between celebrity women to see who can be the most natural.
Yeah, 90% of celebrities in their no makeup pictures wear makeup and/or are heavily filtered. Wear makeup, don’t wear makeup, but don’t lie.
One of my friends just tried to mimic that no make up make up Instagram selfie look and the results were HILARIOUSLY bad. I’m not even sure celebrities are really using cellphone cameras to take their “selfies”.
All. Lies.
yes
to me being makeup free means zero makeup at all like someone in a polygamist compound
i dont wear foundation because even makeup artists tell me not to bother, i’m lucky to have good skin. but i wear mascara and something on my lip. at night i might wear more than that. but i would never call myself makeup free because my face is mostly bare.
I agree with you. It seems nitpicking and a little overboard to go after women about makeup. Generally I don’t wear it, maybe some concealer or BB cream unless I feel like it.
I wear makeup every day. I only wear mascara, because that’s the pretty much only thing I know how to put on, but I wear it every day and got so used to it I feel naked without it.
I also have dry skin and I only wear fundation on special ocassions , but it’s so hard to find fundation for very dry skin that will also he affordable and light enough because I’m super pale.
Blush I hate on me. And on other people.
I’m surgically attached to eyeliner. My eyes look sunken without it. I’ll happily ditch everything else in my make up bag, but not eyeliner. Not even to put the bin outside.
Locke have you tried a BB Cream? That’s what I wear for my super dry skin. If you need more coverage you can work it up and add liquid concealer and some powder to help set it.
I’m very pale and the international brands sold in Argentina don’t send their palest colours so every foundation sold here is two to three shades too dark for me. I have to buy a lot of it when I go abroad.
That’s what I do. Dry skin from medication I unfortunately need. I start with a layer of coconut oil applied with damp fingers (seriously my skin is that dry), concealer on my red areas, and bb cream. Sometimes I need to moisturize again later in the day.
I have tried BB creams, but they’re usually hit or miss because of the shade. BB creams that usually sell in drugstores here come in fewer shades than regular fundations, so they’re usually too dark or too yellow for me.
That’s also a problem I have with fundations, why do so many of them have yellow undertones?
Yeah, I get the same. I even bought Bobbi Brown’s BB and it was too dark for me.
I have pink undertones so foundations/concelears with yellow ones make look ill.
Locke – I am sad sad pale, and it is crazy hard to find a light enough BB. I’ve been though a few at this point. Rimmel, Quo, a ton of drugstore brands.
Weirdly, best I found for pale and pink and cheap is Body Shop’s tea tree oil BB. It’s pretty thick coverage for a BB and is so light I mix with the medium in the summer. Body shop also goes on sale A LOT where I am, so it’s frequently buy one get one free.
“Sure, Jan”*
*Every time a celebrity comes out with “oooh, I don’t wear make up, it’s so unnatural”
Plastic surgery is also unnatural, my lovelies. Do as you will, starlets. Just please stop lying about it.
lol
she should go back to her old nose, that would be really natural
She looks very fresh without makeup! I think it’s good to go without makeup or use less products on your face, especially after this horrible trend with tons of layers of foundation and concealer, contouring etc
ITA. I stopped wearing make-up around a year ago because I simply looker younger and fresher without it. I wear mascara and a little blush maybe 2-3 times a month and that’s it.
And most guys hate make-up. 🙂
I have sensitive skin so I rarely wear foundation or anything like that, but if I have time, I throw on a little mascara and eyeliner…which most of the celebrities wear in their “makeup free” photos.
I think both women look lovely with and without, so whatever. Do what you want.
I have to fill in the eyebrows ( I used to over tweeze too, Nicole!) and maybe wear a little mascara. It’s amazing how much more put together I feel after that,
I agree with her about eyebrows and waxing the legs. I hate super thin eyebrows but the worst are the sperm eyebrows. They really are ugly.
I am a natural blonde and i wear makeup (mainly mascara and eyeliner) because my eyelashes are thin and fair and without mascara it looks like i have teletubbies eyes with no lashes whatsoever.
I am a big fan of light and natural makeup. I could never contour or spend more than 5 minutes putting make up on.
Too much work considering that i have my hands on my face all the time. I would end up looking like a Picasso.
I wear an antioxidant or sunscreen daily. And a Chantecaille lip chic for color when not lazy, other than that, no make up. I still love it, just on others.
In a lot of pap photos Nicole doesn’t wear makeup or wears very little. She probably only wears it at events.
I’ve never worn make up. Not even mascara or lip gloss. But I have sensory issues and can’t stand the feel. I also have darker skin and I think that makes it easier go without. My daughters love it, spend a fortune on it, and drive me crazy taking forever to apply it. To each her own.
It annoys me no end when women talk like this because TRUST ME ON THIS if you have enlarged pores, acne scars, cystic acne and blackheads you’ll be wearing the Max Factor morning noon ‘n night and wouldn’t be seen dead without it.
I’ve had problem skin for almost 30 years (I’m almost 42) and while there is an upside (my skin is very oily so I can pass for someone much younger) hell will be freezing over before I leave the house in a bare minimum of foundation, concealer and pale pink blush.
However if I had perfect skin I would never wear an ounce of makeup. I’m soooooo jelly of women with flawless skin. It’s beautiful to me and I can gaze at complete strangers perfect skin in pure, unadulterated awe at how fresh it looks.
Depends on the person. I have very oily, acne-prone skin and have dealt with cystic acne since I was in middle school. I wear very little makeup during the week because I don’t like the feeling of it but none on the weekends so my skin can breath. I have scars too but I don’t care anymore if someone sees them. However I will say I gave up dairy and my skin is getting clearer so you might want to give that a try? Idk I think the older I get the more I don’t give a f lol
Have you been to a cosmetician?
I had cystic acne from the age of 15 to my mid 20s I was put on Accutane after trying EVERYTHING and it really helped me. However it dried my skin up (I had mixed to oily). The cosmetician works wonder on my dry skin and all of my scars are gone (they begun to disappear while in treatment).
I understand your need to have your face 100% covered because I’ve been there. The prospect of leaving my house without layers of foundation and coverage would leave me in tears, I was so insecure because of my spotty, inflammated, red face. Maybe that’s why now I barely wear make up.
I had bad skin at a time and wore the make up everyday. I see my skin changes as a blessing and am thankful everyday for not wearing make up. But I have been there make up everyday. It blows. I love freckles and imperfections though. I bet you are beautiful.
Yes! Definitely! I am the same, I used to wear so much make up to cover up my genetic acne ridden face (both sides of my family have cystic acne) it’s only when I went to a beautician close to me who helped me with my skin by getting face peels etc to help rid my skin of congestion, it’s done wonders!
I think unless you have had bad skin, and are used to forever applying make up all the time, no one else (with good skin) will ever understand The constant need for it.
Sometimes in London I see girls who wear no make up and have bad acne, and I credit them big time! Now that’s a bloody massive achievement!!
I used to have people tell me I used to wear too much ‘make up’ when I was teenager and I used to get really upset that I was the only one out of my peer group who had bad skin.
However, now I am the one with the good skin! I have acid peels regularly, have always worn SPF unlike my friends with good skin (who didn’t wear a lot of make up!) and now I look much younger than them, My skin is brilliant now, and I look back with sympathy to my younger self.
My advice is don’t be afraid to wear make up, especially if you need to wear it because you have bad skin, just make sure you know how to apply correctly, take make up off always before bed and wear SPF, it will all work out in the end! It’s also very ok not to wear make up!
If I go without makeup, I get the “Oh my God, you look so TIRED” which only reinforces my insecurities. Plus I have mad under-eye circles and my eyes disappear without makeup.
Nicole is lucky – she has small features and huge eyes, with no noticeable under-eye circles. My guess is she has the money to make sure all is in perfect order. If I had all the money in the world, I might be able to go makeup free too.
Oh Crumpet, I can absolutely relate! When I go completely makeup free, people ask me if I’m feeling okay, lol!
For the most part, I never leave the house without concealer, tinted lip balm and face powder at the very least. That being said, none of my friends wear make up ever. Not a speck of it! So I always feel overdone when I am around them. I would love to go au naturel like they do, but they are all blessed with beautiful skin, whereas I? Not so much!
Under eye circles are the bomb. You can ignore people and then pretend you’re just tired. I’ve got them big time, was literally born with them, you can see them in the obligatory newborn picture. I look like a lumpy tomato with dark under eye circles.
They used to bother me but they are nearly impossible to cover up so I’ve just gotten used to them. They’re a part of my face and what I look like.
Under eye dark circles can be a sign of allergies. You probably know about any pollen/mold allergies or obvious food allergies, but we can have less obvious problems with foods and also things in the environment such as artificial fragrances and household chemicals.
Under eye dark circles can be a sign of allergies. You probably know about any pollen/mold allergies or obvious food allergies, but we can have less obvious problems with foods and also things in the environment such as artificial fragrances and household chemicals.
I think the key is to not care about what other people think.
If you do, you’ll keep feeling the need to wear it.
+1
What do celebrities count as make-up? All of them, even Gwyneth, look like they wear eyeliner and a tad bit of lipliner (maybe?) at least. Is it foundation that they’re saying they don’t wear?
Alicia Keys is the only one who looks completely make-up free to me.
I think “makeup” in LA LA Land is foundation, powder, highlighter, blush… Like, the full face. Mascara and concealer and a little bit of lip stain is no makeup in the celebrity world. That’s “brave” for them.
Me too. Their fake world is way too fake for us peasants.
I’m imagining a female celebrity who is photographed wearing make-up feeling compelled to reassure the public the next day that “choosing to wear make-up doesn’t mean I think bare-faced women look unkempt/ unprofessional/ sickly/ tired/ poorly groomed, etc. Unlike most of society, I don’t think that skin imperfections that I barely notice in men suddenly acquire a heinous quality when seen in women. Do you!”
Yeah, wtf at having to say she’s not “anti makeup.” Like, if she wore pants would she need to issue a statement that she’s not “anti skirts”?
Well, we live in a mentally unhealthy society, Dana! One that expects women to cover up their facial imperfections in order to be deemed acceptable to be seen in public. Or at least, this is what we demand of those that we grant celebrity to. The price of fame is expected perfection!
i never ever wear foundation, my skin is too sensitive and i’ve yet to find anything that looks good on me (although i’d love to find something that works, i have lots of freckles so i could use the coverage). i always wear eyeliner, do my brows (stupid sparse brows, a nightmare), mascara, blush and lipstick. i love doing it, that said i’m perfectly fine wearing no make up to the gym or just to pop quickly to the shops. i think women should do whatever feels good to them.
i can’t believe nicole richie has just started wearing sun protection though, she lives in LA ffs. it’s mental.
Have you tried the Glossier line? I don’t know if it’ll cover your freckles but I swear by their stuff! The skin tint is good coverage but isn’t as thick as a foundation.
thanks for the tip, i’ll check them out!
I know different people find different things and we usually want what we don’t have, but God, I’d sell my kidney for freckles. Most people in my family have them ( and don’t like them) but I don’t. And I find them so so beautiful.
People get them tattoed now. That’s a thing.
imo it depends on the amount of freckles. a bit on the nose are really cute, but when you have lots like me (think lindsay lohan) they can look muddy. i feel like i never look polished because of them.
My mum has them ala Lindsay and I think they’re beautiful. The more the merrier. But she hates them. So I get how you feel.
I live in Florida and never wear sunscreen. I’m going to be a fine leather bag and I’m totally cool with that. I love the sun and spend tons of time outside (but I limit my burning hours exposure) and it’s great. Besides my doctor said to not wear sunscreen and I swear almost anything can be cured with a few hours exposure to some sunshine and fresh air.
‘Besides my doctor said to not wear sunscreen’
really? why?
@sunny
‘Besides my doctor said to not wear sunscreen’
Pretty sure you shouldn’t listen to that advice,
unless you want to die sooner.
My grandma followed this logic. And ended up getting precancerous lesions removed from her nose twice before 70.
I live in a damn sunny and hot country, and just the thought of wearing makeup makes me sweat again. I see ladies in the bus, or walking in the sun with tons of eyeliner and foundation and I wonder how they can do it. To me, makeup is for cold days (not preaching), apart from lipstick and lip gloss.
I lived in the Bahamas for many years. The ladies there LOVE their make-up, and a lot of it. Heavy foundations, tons of eye shadow (in blues, greens and purples) while the sweat pours down. I never understood how they could do it. I stuck to light eyeliner and mascara ONLY if I was going somewhere nice, otherwise I wore none and my skin was /is far from perfect.
Agreed! I do wear eye makeup sometimes but that’s it. Too hot otherwise (although I cover up far more than most people do here…long skirts and lightweight longlseeve shirts and layers even in the hottest time of the year. Lol yes people think I am insane but hey no need for mosquito spray or sunscreen!
I usually only wear concelear under my eyes and maybe some lipstick if I’m feeling extra special. But usually I’ll wear nothing but I do make exceptions for weddings and formal events.
However I have great skin and that makes a big difference because I don’t need much coverage. I invest more $ in skin products and monthly visits to my cosmetician than I do in make up.
If you feel better wearing make up there is nothing wrong with that. There isn’t ONE rule we as women should adhere to.
I’ve never liked the feel of foundation on my skin, and at my most made-up, I’d fill in brows (brunette with blonde brows, ffs), do eye shadow, liner and mascara, blush and lipstick. Then I developed an allergy to anything on or around my eyes, if I put on any sort of eye makeup or even sunscreen near the eyes, the whites of my eyes would turn red and my eyelids would swell, itch, and eventually crack and peel. Well, that simplified things, didn’t it? Down to just brows, blush and lips. I have to admit that although I didn’t look as good, it was a real pleasure to be able to touch my eyes without smearing mascara everywhere. And then I retired, and now I never wear anything at all.
I was blessed with great skin, though, never any acne, and at 74 there are no wrinkles. The facial gods were good to me.
You sound like my mother in law. She just turned 81 and her skin is eerily smooth. She’s never had any work done and doesn’t even have a dermatologist. Lucky genes lol.
I use this product and love it!! I wear some moisturizer underneath and use 3 small drops of this foundation for a very light but polished look. I also like Chanel. I’ve tried drugstore brands and they always break me out and never match perfectly so I find it more of a value to get a quality product.
http://m.sephora.com/product/P393403
Oh! And I follow Nicole on Instagram she does go makeup free for a lot of her photos but I can see that being easier for her day to day stuff. I wear my makeup on the train, otherwise I have no time lol
Thank you for the product info.
I have been looking for a lite foundation because as I age my skin is very blotchy. Don’t wear make-up everyday but I think it is time to start to wear it. I use Smashbox BB cream when I go out but it is a bit too heavy for everyday.
nicole looks really soft and pretty and glowy without makeup. I think a lot of people do; so much of the heavy dark fierce eye looks (which i have nothing against in themselves) becomes a habit and it’s so surprising to see someone without them looking, like, soft and fresh, not hard-edged.
i think the thing about makeup clogging skin is kinda correct, but i feel like maybe she’s talking about foundation? i don’t like to wear foundation, only concealer where absolutely necessary (spots, undereyes) because my skin just gets worse the more stuff i put on it, definitely more reactive and clogged. blonde eyelashes here tho- i ll join the “you’ll have to pry it out of my cold dead hands” club… feels like i don’t have eyes, otherwise, when i go out into the world. however, i love days when i’m just staying in the house and don’t put anything at all on… feels like i’m giving my skin and lashes and everything a healthy break.
The thing with makeup, it seems to be like dying your hair. Once you start you can’t stop. People get used to seeing you with it on and then if you stop they think you look ill. You get used to your face looking a certain way so you feel incomplete and “wrong” without it.
I wouldn’t have a problem with makeup up if it weren’t pushed so heavily on women. It’s marketed as a necessity, and there are many subtle (and not so subtle) jabs aimed at women who choose not to wear it. You NEED this, you are not pretty enough without it. What nature gave you is inadequate, and therefore you as a person are inadequate. But just buy this product, and everything will be okay. You’ll be beautiful. Don’t you want to be beautiful? You should. But you can’t until you fix your face.
“The thing with makeup, it seems to be like dying your hair. Once you start you can’t stop. People get used to seeing you with it on and then if you stop they think you look ill. You get used to your face looking a certain way so you feel incomplete and “wrong” without it.”
That’s why I’ve always been afraid of wearing too much make-up. I’m afraid I’ll get addicted to seeing my face a certain way. And foundation looks too difficult to work with if you’re like me and not knowledgeable about properly applying that stuff — I think I’m terrified I’ll wind up looking like a clown. At the same time, it seems as though those who wear a ton of make-up are perceived as more glamorous, even though I don’t see much of a difference in beauty between those who wear make-up and those who don’t (at least among women under a certain age). Yet the people who wear make-up are somehow perceived as being more “with it.”
It feels like a tax on women. I spend 5 minutes every morning. Imagine 5 minutes every day for years on something else. Plus the money.
I stopped for awhile, but you are rewarded so much for conforming… So I caved.
I spent years in full face makeup when I was younger. Not because I liked it but because I was modeling. Once I was done a shoot, off it came and I was one of the only girls that I knew that didn’t wear any otherwise. This was in the era of blue eyeshadows and hot pink lipstick and then into the goth/grunge era. I have happily tossed most of my makeup and only wear full face when I am going out to an event.
My everyday wear depends on the time of year. In the summer, I wear Revlon New Complexion One Step foundation, blush and mascara. I only recently started wear foundation, and this one in particular, as I have melasma. The older I get, the worse it gets and the summer does not help, even with 60 sunblock on my face. In the winter, I wear a lighter New Complexion with the rest. I do this for myself as my melasma patches are very dark and the worst one is on my upper lip. It’s like a tattooed mustache. Awesome O_o
The freedom of free-face is amazing and if I am not stepping out of the house, I am bare face and loving it. I am horrified by the idiots on social medias reaction to Alicia going bare face. It’s not your decision, so shut it. She looks great either way. As for Nicole, she has always been adorable and looks fab either way.
She Looks beautiful either way but also I’m NOT about to sit here handing cookies to young/conventionally pretty Celebrities with skincare to the stars for not wearing makeup
Tell girls with Hyperpigmentation/ hereditary black circles or whatever else and acne scars how everyone is gonna accept them at face value at work/school
As a person of english/norwegian descent, I have to have some coverage otherwise my red nose shines through like a beacon, so I hate going out with no coverage. I’m so confused with BB cream, CC cream, I just don’t know what to think with those. I’ve found a tinted sunscreen that I love, it just evens things out, and isn’t mattte (Skinceuticals). This wouldn’t have cut it when I was younger, but my skin is nicer with age. I also love the mascara that ‘tubes’ your lashes and washes off in chunks with warm water – it doesn’t run and leave black marks on my skin when I try to remove it. It’s so much easier on my eyes and skin. And at age 45 – suddenly filling in my eyebrows is my ‘must do’ every morning. Not from over tweezing, they just seemed to have lightened up somehow and need a bit of darkening to frame my face, otherwise I look less than healthy. Weird, considering I always had Brooke Shields eyebrows.
Wren – on the same team here. I saw my mother in the nursing home a few years ago. She has Alzheimers, but was much zippier then. One day I saw her. I was extra tired so the circles under my eyes were darker, but I’ve always had them.
When she saw me she asked me why I had dark circles under my eyes. I replied I’ve had then since I was ten.
I have ridiculously sensitive skin – bad allergic reactions. My face gets itchy, then it moves down my skull, to my neck. Good times. I tried an apricot scrub once. My face blew up like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka. Not a good look. That being said I always get ragged on because I don’t wear makeup. I now tell people that I’m crunchy (as in crunchy granola ) – basically a hippie. Either they get it or they don’t.
I’ll admit I do love how drag queens apply makeup (beat a face). Same with anyone committed to making it artful. I know it doesn’t generally play for real life, but it’s fascinating.
I started getting my lower legs waxed last year every 4-7 weeks and it is amazing! I have always gotten my eyebrows and bikini waxed (although I now tried Brazilian last year too and am also hooked), but the leg waxing is amazing!!! It grows back so soft you barely feel it and eventually you get patches where it never grows back (I have huge sections in my bikini area that never grow again). I highly recommend waxing to everyone. It’s cheaper too, I spent so much money in the past on those soapy razors.
I don’t wear make-up either because my skin is incredibly sensitive. On the special occasion that I do wear it, I don’t use much, so I make it count. So what if people choose to wear make-up or not? It’s a personal decision: you wear it every day? Great! You don’t wear any at all? Great!
Makeup, as in foundation, and concealer especially if you reapply throughout the day, does really stick to the skin. I use high quality stuff (talking ingredients not just price tag) so while it doesn’t seem to cause breakouts it is hard to remove and no one wants to go to bed with makeup on, especially when you have just washed your face. I only knew that it wasn’t coming all off when I got Bioderma, the makeup remover from France all the models use. There was a lot of concealer still there around my eyes after cleansing that I could not see on my skin but there it was on the cotton pad. It is very cheap and really does the job without stripping. In fact my skin looks better since using it. I’m also a recently reformed product junkie. Other than cleansing of course I only use products on a need to use basis. And so far there’s been no need. I converted when I had a skin condition on my face caused by using cortisone cream on another part of my body and had to ditch all face products so as not to exacerbate the problem. Incredibly, without my products – and they were high quality with no crap ingredients, a range of them over the years – my skin became instantly more toned and firmer. And WITHOUT eye cream? Less lines. I couldn’t believe it. My theory is that regardless of how good a cream/treatment etc is, if your skin doesn’t need it it will compromise your skin. Eye cream is especially congesting. Less is more.
I rarely wear makeup and it’s a personal choice. I just find the whole ritual frustrating and not worth the effort. I am fortunate that I work in a professional environment that does not make those demands on women and we are left to be as glamorous or not as we wish.
I do have to say that while I am a total plain Jane, at 59 my skin really is awesome and I do think I can point to the lack of makeup (and a good skincare regimen) as part of the reason.