Why do we wear makeup?
It’s long been argued that women wear makeup because they feel insecure about the way they look. They wear makeup to impress other people. And because they feel pressured by society.
Yet for many women, this just doesn’t ring true.
According to a study carried out by market researcher Ipsos and beauty brand Sally Hansen, a whopping 84% of women believe that beauty can be empowering.
But does expertly applied eye shadow and the right shade of lipstick really have the ability to change how we feel about ourselves?
It actually can! Here are the reasons why.
It’s a way to express yourself
Makeup is a form of self-expression. Like the clothes you wear, you can use it to tell the world who you are. Or just how you happen to feel on any given day.
Rebel, artist, glamour puss… With makeup, you get to showcase and play around with your own individual style. And then wash it off at the end of the day, ready to present a new face the next!
It’s fun & creative
Trying out different makeup styles is simply so much fun! Whether you’re an amateur or a professional makeup artist with a makeup course under your belt, there’s a huge amount of creativity involved in fashioning a new look.
Working on the practical skills of application. Experimenting with different colours and shades. Bringing your own artistic flair to a style.
Playing around with makeup is just as creative and imaginative as painting, writing or making music. The face is the canvas and your cosmetics are the paint. Move over Monet!
Self-care makes you feel good
Life feels busier than ever. Work, kids, pets – whatever your day to day responsibilities, it’s important to take a little time for yourself. After all, the better you look after yourself, the more you have to share with the world.
Makeup provides a wonderful self-care opportunity. Even if it’s just for ten minutes a day, putting on your makeup gives you the chance to check in with yourself.
You have to focus on the application (as anyone who’s tried to apply mascara whilst carrying on with a conversation well knows!) And this time spent concentrating can often feel like a mini-meditation.
The ritual of putting on makeup helps women all over the world to feel ready, both physically and mentally, for whatever the day has in store.
It gives you a confidence boost
Makeup might be superficial but its effects aren’t just skin deep. How you look on the outside affects how you feel on the inside. Makeup can bring out the confidence within and be empowering.
Just as you’d wear a sharp suit to an interview or your fave glam getup to a party, the makeup you wear helps you to feel “put-together” and prepared.
Everyone is at their most confident and beautiful when they’re doing what feels right for them. So whether you’re glammed up to the nines or just wearing a hint of primer and mascara, feeling good and looking good always go hand in hand.
It gives you control
You had a bad night’s sleep. Your skin is experiencing another breakout. You’re living life with a skin condition. There are plenty of things in life that we simply can’t control.
Makeup can help. It gives us the control to look how we want to, even when the universe isn’t playing ball. That might mean highlighting features or masking them.
If you want to look wide awake and blemish-free, you have the power to make it happen. You get to present your version of you to the world.
What could be more empowering than that?
Want to empower others and give them the confidence that comes from looking their best? Fancy improving your makeup knowledge and skills with a makeup course online?
Find out about New Zealand Beauty School’s Makeup Artistry course today, and take your first steps towards becoming a professional makeup artist!