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Underground > Art, Fashion & Design >

I hate make-up.

23:08 / 13.05.04

Its so much hassle. Expensive and symbolically creepy. Margaret Thatcher wouldn't allow beards in her cabinet because it made them look like they were hiding something, make-up gets me thinking the same thing.
Plus, have you ever noticed how women with really low self-esteem PLASTER it on? It's kinda sad.

I went through my teenage phase of wearing pancake make-up. It's so bad that in my 3rd year photo's you can't see any zits at all, that's just weird. I eventually realised how compulsive make-up had become and decided to give up.

I'm not suggesting that make-up be banned or anything silly like that. But I do think it's weird how not wearing make-up is unusual. How many times have you seen a someone in make-up and thought "You'd be really beautiful if you weren't buried under all that paint"?

I suppose I'm just a naturalist.

08:44 / 14.05.04

Make up can be fun, but sometimes people just take it TOO SERIOUSLY.
Yay for you, in other words. Naturalist's are cool. Except for the Nazi kind, which you aren't one of.

15:51 / 14.05.04

Being male, I've never really have to personally deal with make-up, but I can't say I'm too fond of either the idea in general or frequent applications thereof.

How many times have you seen a someone in make-up and thought "You'd be really beautiful if you weren't buried under all that paint"?

All too often.

statisticalpurposes

16:59 / 14.05.04

I agree. Other than for playing dress-up, make-up annoys me. It always looks like make-up. It kind of amazes me how women believe that they *need* to wear make-up to look acceptable. I want to conclude something about the awesome power of socialization and culture in getting us to do crazy things.

But maybe that's overly simplistic. Drawing on Doane's film theory (which is psychoanalytically based and not entirely agreeable), what if wearing make-up is actually subversive? Her point was that in film, the female who is "masquerading" as hyper-feminine is a character that is complex and three-dimensional. That character is then seen as consciously performing femininity rather than just sub-consciously believing in it. So maybe make-up could be a way to "perform" femininity without fully buying into it? I'm not sure what to do with questions of intent (on the part of the make-up wearer) and reception (on the part of the viewer).

Now that my teenage phase of eyeliner and lip-gloss has passed, hopefully I can continue to avoid it. I find that a lot of what I do "to be comfortable" are things that fight against culture. It took me a long time before I realized that I didn't need to shave my legs to proclaim my femaleness.

17:20 / 17.05.04

I don't feel subjugated by wearing makeup. I do however think that I hide behind it a little. I find it a useful way of defining the different aspects of my life: work - light, barely there makeup that prevents everyone from seeing what awful, blotchy skin I have; evenings - I can be shy, so I can vamp it up and pretend to be the strong, independant, sexy woman I'd like to be; at home with my friends and boyfriend - none - I can be as outwardly unappealing as I like coz I know they love me for me, but I will make an effort for a special anniversary or birthday i.e. full makeup, shaved legs and a pretty outfit!

I think everyone behaves in different ways in different circumstances. Just as I wouldn't tell colleagues about any emotional flaws or problems, I'd rather they saw me without flawed skin. I don't know why - it just helps!

01:26 / 18.05.04

I don't think make-up subjugates people who wear it, just to make that clear.

I do definately understand how people use it to delineate between different social settings, the way people use different clothes to delineate between work/school/pub etc. The problem I have with that is, I still think it's inherently dishonest- are you a different person in each of these separate settings? No. So why present differing aspects of yourself?

I don't like that make-up and fashion are cornerstones in many people's self-esteem. It's a fragile and ultimately shallow place to stand from. No wonder we're all so insecure.

It's all camoflage at the end of the day. Yes, it is necessary to disguise yourself in various ways order to be considered "normal" in our society, but I hate that.

07:55 / 18.05.04

Fair enough - the subjugation angle was my own after a similar conversation with a friend of mine. Actually, I think I am a very different person depending on what circumstance I find myself in. At home I'm goofy, clumsy, forgetful and disorganised, all things that I don't mind about myself at all but I think my boss might! Sometimes I behave like a kid - running round having waterfights and generally being very, very silly. However, if I want to be taken seriously as a young woman who has ambitions and wants to pursue a career I should probably behave a little more sensibly. Putting on my 'grown-up' clothes and make-up help me make that transition between two different parts of my life.

With regard to the 'camouflage' aspect, many people (including myself on occasion) use it to stand out rather than blend in. We all make judgments about people from their appearance and sometimes you just want to emphasise the aspect of your personality you like the most or feel most comfortable with. I think it can be more of an extension of self rather than a limitation or mask. Admittedly, some people do plaster it on, and that is rarely a good look!

21:55 / 18.05.04

Make-up is a big contradiction. We're told over and over that we should wear it to look more attractive and I think most women truly believe that they don't look as good without make-up on, but almost all the men I've ever met say they prefer women make-up less. Although they could just be saying that...

I think it depends why you wear it.

I love make-up if I am in the right mood. I don't wear concealer and foundation and all that 'boring' make-up, but I love colourful eyeshadow and silly things like that. I think if you sometimes wear it, rather than being unable to face going out without your 'slap' on, then it's a lovely thing to have access to, and I think men should join in the fun.

The sexiest man I ever saw was at a party once wearing turquoise eyeliner. He looked beautiful and I thought he rocked for having the upfrontery to just turn up to a fairly conservative party wearing make-up. I reckon make-up shouldn't be to hide behind, it should be treated like another item of clothing.

pointless and uncalled for

10:29 / 19.05.04

I find make up quite a disturbing thing really. It's the part of fashion that we can't see a label on yet it's one of the most conformist things out there. To me it's like a fcuk t-shirt or the right pair of jeans. The trends change and people keep buying into it (users and non-users alike) and trying to meet a standard set by those who profit from it.

In reality your bare skin is a lot more interesting on a day to day basis. Those little differences are what identify you in a physical sense in the same way your character traits identify you in an aphysical sense.

This isn't to say that make-up shouldn't be used but I think it should be purposeful as a matter of course. Like if you're setting up for a big occasion. If you're going to dress up your body then why not dress up your face. But outside of that it's unneseccary and in a certain way quite pathetic.

14:43 / 19.05.04

You "hide behind" your clothing in a sense --it covers you. Some people really hide behind their clothing & other people just wear it. And other people make a BIG statement with it. I do all three.

Makeup and fashion tend to get targeted as unnecessary and unnatural because they're on the farther end of the scale of human artifice; you rarely hear people complain that reading and writing are unnatural forms of expression. Arguing against makeup is conformity of a different kind, as we live in a society that practically specializes in mixed messages.

Tryphena Absent

16:23 / 19.05.04

I adore make up, I think it's the most special thing in the world and I only wear it when I feel like it. I don't wear it to dress up necessarily or as camoflauge, I only put it on when I feel like applying it. Applying make up is rather like cooking, it's therapuetic in the same way and it reminds me of my femininity. I understand the feeling that people who apply the stuff everyday are a little sad but I disagree, if you love it than that's who you are and if you need it than you just do. When I was 17 I wore make up everyday, colourful eyeshadow (no foundation although I do use it now, mostly because mere top layer stuff wasn't exciting anymore) and mascara and gallons of eyeliner but I wasn't sad, it was just the face I wanted to present to the world and I enjoyed it. I think the line needs to be drawn between want and dependence.

21:09 / 19.05.04

That's what I was trying to say. Only Anna has said it far more eloquently!

All Acting Regiment

20:46 / 20.05.04

Put simply, there are two P.O.V.'s:

A) Makeup is the tool of the status quo. You must wear make up to stop you being "you" and more like the "ideal", i.e. sex dolls.

B) Makeup is a tool by which you can become "more than you", and be powerful and challenge the status quo,like Lord Fanny in the invisibles: it is hir ghost mask, remember.

Shanghai Quasar

23:01 / 20.05.04

C) Makeup is a tool that causes my skin to turn red and eventually puff up to impossible sizes. Not in a sexy Thing or Hulk way either.

That said, I would find myself agreeing with Anna's position on the goop and feel the same logic can be extended to clothing and so forth.

Why present differing aspects of yourself?

Just because I have a toybox full of toys doesn't mean I want to play with everything at the same time. I'm certainly not the same person everywhere I go. My mood changes, my focus changes, my taste for the moment changes.

Perhaps that's just me.

19:53 / 24.05.04

Eh, I don't like it, much.

Except maybe on special occasions.

It's kind of tricky, make-up is. My grandmother said it's only for actors and courtesans.

23:44 / 26.05.04

I have a mate who plasters the stuff on. Should I run at her with some removal wipes?

15:26 / 28.05.04

I love to use make-up to highlight one or two features. Since I'm blonde my brows and lashes are almost invisible and a light brow pencil helps frame my face. Make-up is scary when it's used to try and alter facial features, that's what Abode Photo is for!