Put Away Your Makeup ... Or, Don't

By Ellie Drabnis on June 23, 2016

As The Police once sang on the ever-popular tune Roxanne, which has now made its way into the realm of notorious drinking games, “You know my mind is made up, so put away your makeup.”

Now, let’s deconstruct that line for a second. Sting, the man singing, has made up his mind, meaning that he has come to a decision. Sting’s decision is that he would like Roxanne, the girl he’s singing to and about, to go on and change her ways. He would like her to change everything about herself because she is a sex worker, but, in that lyric, he is being very specific. He has flat out stated that he wants wearing makeup to become one of Roxanne’s ‘things of the past.’

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Take the central theme of Roxanne being a sex worker out of the song and, you’ve just got a guy telling a girl how she should present herself. What I’m getting at is this: ladies, it doesn’t matter if a male or female tells you to put away your makeup, that choice comes down to you and only you.

Courtney Stevens, Bio Major at Rutgers University rocking a powerful purple on her lips. #ALWAYSbeautiful

Recently, famous R&B singer Alicia Keys wanted to start a #NoMakeUpMovement. Keys wrote, “I don’t want to cover up anymore,” and, “Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.”

While those words and the sentiment behind them are not coming from a bad place, someone choosing to wear makeup is not necessarily them covering up. For example, I consider myself a very open person and I love wearing all kinds of crazy eye makeup. This is especially true when I wear merchandise from my favorite franchises such as Star Wars. I have never been shy about showing my true and very nerdy colors. In fact, there’s a certain pride in me when I rock bright red lipstick and any Sith Lord or other Star Wars bad guy related accessories. And on that note, I know plenty of college-aged women of all majors and interests who enjoy wearing makeup and again, are still very real and open individuals.

Princess inspired lipsticks by LA Splash Cosmetics (fashionfave.com)

Makeup or lack thereof does not dictate that anyone is hiding anything about themselves. If we are choosing to use concealer to cover a blemish, that is our business and our business alone. The same goes for the choice of a funky lipstick color or a more intricate, tone-up or other lipstick or eyeshadow color.

Again, that is the business of the person who is wearing it and them alone. On the flip side, if someone wants to forgo makeup altogether, good for them. Just to really drill it in: wearing makeup or not is their business and no one else’s. Usage of makeup or choice to decline using it all comes down to the individual, and while it may not be intentional, attempting to put shame on those who are using makeup is not at all empowering.

To even suggest that those women are not dreaming of bright futures for themselves is unfair and uncalled for. Instead of tearing down our fellow women for using makeup or not, why not uphold them instead? And, with a more positive hashtag at that.

Perhaps, #BeautifulMakeUpOrNot or, #ALWAYSbeautiful would be better-suited hashtags to create movements with. Reader, please remember, makeup or not, you are indeed always beautiful and makeup usage or the choice to forgo makeup by no means dictates who you are as an individual or what you are working towards in your life.

Cosplayer, Maki Roll, rocks a winged eye and light lip combo on a day like any other. #BeautifulMakeUpOrNot

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