Writer: nanami
My first makeup
I started to learn how to wear makeup when I graduated from high school. Until then, I had no idea what to do. I just knew that makeup must’ve been something glittering and helps me look prettier. I still remember I practiced how to wear makeup with my mom (because I literally had no idea about that) right before turning into a freshman.
Something doesn’t fit me…
I practiced wearing makeup a bit and then realized something about makeup doesn’t fit me somehow. I even felt frustrated. The strange feelings come from the fact that my eyes are single eyelids and every how-to-makeup on the internet and magazines are designed for double eyelids. I looked up other ways to apply makeup, and I always ended up looking at the article that only works for someone who has double eyelids. I’ve been thinking like how can it happen when many Japanese people have single eyelids?
When I started my life at university, I met a girl with single eyelids who puts double eyelid tape on everyday, saying “I only do makeup for myself. I do it because I can become pretty!” However, I’ve never believed it. I knew the words actually didn’t come from her. I knew someone (which is a society we live in obviously) labeled girls with double eyelids as prettier and decided girls are not pretty without makeup.
Sometimes I like makeup. Sometimes I don’t
Because makeup had never fit me, I was always somewhere between the feelings that I’m not enjoying makeup and that I gotta wear makeup. I usually didn’t wear makeup to go to university (because we just study there, right?), but I did go out with my friends and work part-time at a restaurant.
Luckily, I had great support from my ex-boyfriends. They made it clear that if I don’t want to wear makeup, I don’t have to. Plus, they said I look great with or without makeup. So, I wasn’t frustrated so much, I just didn’t feel makeup was fun.
After a while, I could have this moment that I like makeup when I tried a makeup brand targeting Asian women. The brand adopted a variety of models in body shape, the skin colors, shape of eyes, and I felt it fits me. I realized that I had always been tired of the standardized makeup and cosmetics that didn’t fit my personality.
I started to enjoy makeup when I feel it is so me.
Me and makeup after graduation of university
Just because I had a moment when I liked wearing makeup doesn’t mean that I wear it every day. I still feel makeup is difficult and makeup is completely irrelevant to my work performance. When I don’t want to put makeup on, I just don’t and nobody mentions it.
I put on makeup once or twice a week when I want to feel powerful (such as when I have to see my clients face to face), and I want to dress up on the weekend.
Dealing with makeup
This is the end of my story. What about you? Do you like makeup or do you hate it? Do you want to wear it or not?
I think if you can say, “I like it very much!,” it’s amazing. However I just wish to live in a society where those who don’t like makeup so much or who hate it also can be confident about who they are and easily take the option of not-putting on makeup.