On Wearing Makeup at Middlebury
By Jenny Langerman
Coming to college, I quickly saw I was in a makeup-wearing minority. While most of the girls at my high school wouldn’t be caught dead at school without makeup, this couldn’t be further from Middlebury’s M.O. In fact, here it seems to be almost the reverse - not wearing makeup is the ‘cool’ thing.
Despite feeling a little out of place doing so, I continue to wear makeup most days. I’ve gotten the classic “you don’t need makeup to be pretty” countless times, which, while usually well intentioned, insinuates that wearing makeup is something I shouldn’t be doing. That somehow, wearing makeup implies insecurities or that you’re hiding your ‘real’ self. To this I always say “you’re right, I don’t need it.” I wear makeup because I want to, because I like it. Makeup serves a purpose for me far beyond that of wanting to look “pretty,” whatever that societally-constructed definition might be at the moment.
I’ll never forget what my mom told me when I was in third grade, after I had fallen on the playground and cut my chin. I was so self conscious about going to school with a scrape on my face, but she said no one will notice it if I distract from it. She pinched my cheeks to make them rosy and told me to smile, saying my radiance would draw their eyes instead. While it perhaps didn’t really do much in actuality to distract from the massive cut I was sporting, I was less self-conscious that day. My mom’s advice has stayed with me, and I’ve learned makeup is one of my best friends, just being there to boost my morale if I need it. Got a pimple? No problem, I’ll put on some eyeliner so my eyes pop. Hair looks extra dull today? Whatever, some lipgloss will brighten me up. Haven’t been feeling good about my body recently? I’ll just let my face glow. And again, even if it’s not actually doing much to truly distract from the point of distress, the placebo of feeling especially good about another feature makes me feel more confident, regardless. Confidence is one of the most attractive qualities you can possess, and it helps you be the best version of yourself. For me, makeup doesn’t hide my ‘real’ face, it only helps bring it out.
Makeup also makes me feel more put together. When I put on a cute outfit, I feel incomplete without a bit of it, almost as if I didn’t finish getting ready. I spent so much time making my wardrobe look good that I want to match the effort in all parts of my appearance. Makeup also helps me feel less dull on days when I’m sluggish or sick; it has that sort of fake-it-til-you-make-it effect.
Much like fashion, makeup for many is an art form (hence makeup artists, naturally) and a means of self expression, no different from a painter or singer. And like many forms of art, the process of actually putting on makeup can also be quite therapeutic. I have spent so much time during quarantine practicing different makeup looks -- in a time when I literally couldn’t see anyone else and took it all off as soon as I put it on -- just because it helped me relax and gave me something to work at.
Sure, makeup does make me feel pretty, and there’s nothing wrong with that, because feeling good with makeup doesn’t automatically mean I don’t feel pretty without it. Wearing makeup goes far beyond its outwardly simple rationale, and for me it is just as much about enhancing what is inside, as it is enhancing the outside. And so, while just a little foundation, blush and mascara are the ‘poisons’ I’ve picked, this is what helps me feel good, in all senses of the word. All this isn’t to say I think everyone should wear makeup. And at the end of the day, it’s all about doing what makes you individually feel most comfortable and confident, whether that be a full face or a fresh face.