Why wear Makeup?

Lauryn Hill Artwork (source)

Is it because of personal choice  ... Or is a requirement of beauty?

For me, its not really about looking better its more about ...  dressing up ... Exhibiting your taste and an inward persona ... It shows your (or a)  personality, by allowing you to physically show how you feel or would like to be portrayed. Of course, I'll assume that you don't apply makeup to look worse off than when you started, but for me its not all about looking pretty. 

There's just something really interesting (albeit quiet nosy)  about seeing ,what people use and love to adorn themselves with whether that be makeup, clothing, nail polish, hair styles etc. Its fun to see what makes a person feel more glam in their skin or more ready for their day ahead. Also, its a great way to find out your own likes and dislikes by observing someone else's taste/collection of things that they find appealing.  

Personally, when I think about making myself beautiful with makeup, it makes me feel negative about its purpose and effect. To whom am I meant to appear more beautiful and for what? However, if I think I'm creating (enhancing) instead of correcting, or making my lips of features look a certain different way: just to suit my requirement, I feel different about it.

I'm not saying that makeup is not about beauty but its also about creativity, expression and art. I'm in love with that side of it, for now. 

Needless to say, I despise it when I stumble across a topic, or article which states that women who don't wear makeup are lazy or they don't care about themselves. Well excuse me but, what a way to judge someone because they don't fit your requirement of what makes a women 'polished'. Those kind of snobby remarks which state that makeup is an absolute and innate requirement for women, makes my blood boil, curdle and explode (all at once). 

Is beauty  a cultural imperative?  

Women from all over the world use different artifices to make them appeal to prospective partners.  Whether its the way they do their hair, what they put on their skin, their weight, their feet etc. Let's face it women everywhere want to be beautiful, they want to feel it and they want to be appreciated for it, at least by those they love. 

History itself shows the various trends, fads and reasons why feet were bound, rib cages were broken and knives were used to emboss skin, all connected in some way in the pursuit of social and cultural acceptance and admiration. In conclusion,  its appealing to be appealing and in this current society makeup is seen as one of the ways you can achieve physical beauty. 

Now what is the point of this rather long post. Well two things really.

1. Don't feel pressured into buying wearing or needing makeup. Even if you do buy it, make sure that you love or are at peace with the canvas you put it on or else you may never be happy with the results. 

2. There are more important things in life than makeup ... like God, family, friends, alleviating world hunger/illness/pain suffering ...  eating fudge ... and of course other things too :) 

Lastly, what are your thoughts about makeup? Is it a must ? Could you live without it? What about it makes you happy? Does it make you happy? Does it make you more you? Oh & even if you don't wear any makeup ... Why do you choose not to wear it and what are you thoughts about makeup?

Your comments are always welcomed :)