A couple of days ago a potential new friend invited me to a social event hosted by a cosmetics company, reminding me that, even for the kind of unconventional women and non-binary people I attract, makeup continues to matter.
The first page of a Google search on "I don't wear makeup feminist" reveals cis woman after cis woman sorting through their conflicted feelings on beauty culture. Am I a rarity in having opted out of this conflict so decisively that it's hard to relate?
For me, it's pretty simple: I have various insecurities about my face, but none of them are compelling enough to lead to covering it up in time-consuming practices involving costly chemicals which won't let my skin breathe.
I know that I am valuable for what I hold inside. I have a bright spark in me which attracts other people. I move through the world confident in my knowledge that my features don't need enhancement. I only have one face, and I respect it.
I feel privileged to have such a long history of this.
I adorn my face with opinions.
That face, with its wrinkles around the eyes (I am 41, after all), areas of asymmetry, rosacea, dryness, and (right now) angular cheilitis, tells a story of curiosity, globe trotting, reading, intellectual discussion, bravery, nonconformity and style. It speaks of altruism, community consciousness, uniqueness, persistence and strength. Kindness. Empathy. Compassion.
I feel free to be my authentic self, and encourage more women and non-binary people to do the same.
