Ever since #nomakeupselfie started trending on social media (back in, what, 2014?) there’s been a kind of holier than thou movement towards what many have touted as ‘cosmetic normcore.’ Yes; these days, slapping on the slap simply isn’t the done thing. Instead, we’re expected to bare our faces, warts and all. Or are we?
Going back to the bare roots of this trend, it all started when celebs like Gwenyth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, and co, bravely went where no woman has been before and let their faces loose.
There’s nothing wrong with that if it’s what’s you like, and props to them for feeling confident in their skin. But, if you’re feeling as insecure as we are right now, then keep on reading to reassure yourself that, actually, ‘no-makeup’ isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
No makeup rarely means no fuss
As we all realized when a bride recently went ‘makeupless’ at her wedding, the no-makeup trend isn’t exactly the no-fuss, natural option it claims to be. In fact, given that the same bride also flew in an aesthetician and 70 skin-care products in for the occasion, she most definitely didn’t walk down the aisle as God made her. Equally, Paltrow openly credits a wide range of skin products for her so-called ‘natural glow.’ Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this. We’re as much in love with a good skincare routine as anyone. But, does this truly count as a no-nonsense natural finish? We aren’t so sure!
Confidence is rarely as easy as it seems
In most instances, no makeup advocates have also had some help getting to where they are, be that in the form of cosmetic procedures, weight loss programs, or whatever else. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, stripping back the guise of makeup is an amazing way to judge whether you could do with a fitness kick, or whether seeking the best cosmetic dentist for a little whitening could help you achieve that ‘glow’ at last. But, with the media as influential as ever, overlooking these alterations and toting them as natural only stands to damage our confidence more than it helps us.
Makeup doesn’t need to be the enemy
Of all the no-makeup beauty myths of recent years, the worst has got to be the idea that makeup is the enemy. More and more often, women who choose to carry on as normal are toted as ‘anti-feminist’ or, worse, unconfident. Luckily, there is a subset of women fighting against this and reclaiming makeup as an empowerment rather than an enemy. Still, dirt sticks, and many younger girls, especially, are left feeling inadequate if they do turn to a bit of foundation on bad skin days. This perpetuates a negative self-image that, ultimately, the no-makeup trend has always claimed to dispel.
Is a shift towards no makeup norms a bad thing? Most definitely not. But, where our confidence and self-belief is concerned, it’s vital that celebs and everyone else is honest about what they truly mean when they claim to be makeup-free moving forward.
The Bitter Lemon 