makeup is oppressive...but also empowering? | philosophy of beauty & self-expression

[@oliSUNvia]

Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. You can start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan at ForThePeople.com/Oli without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win.

[@gptcreations]

This video is PC garbage. No real human being ever made the argument tht makeup is oppressive...VANE maybe..in fact if I didn't know any better it's almost as if you glossed over the overwhelmingly more popular puritanical stance only to substitute it for one you found on reddit. Forgive me, I didn't include the entire alphabet or every made up demographic in this comment. There is something mentally ill about smearing products on your face made from blood plasma or feeling insecure because you don't have it on like a hajib covering your real face.. Women who look good look good without makeup to REAL men. It's not hygienic, it's not self improvement, it's mental illness and a very unfortunate aspect of modern culture.

[@FeegiLatiff]

Ive been wanting someone to make a video on this, thank god u did. I personally will never put on make up, its not healthy and people expect u to put it on all the time then. Looking ugly is a sacrifice u gotta make ig.

[@blackomega34]

@@gptcreations It's no wonder you haven't heard anyone mention it because you seem to not be the type to listen.

[@PseudoFiction]

Thought Big Tugg was an outlier with Morgan and Morgan

[@maa3563]

2:01 Macedonian or NORTH Macedonian?

[@sarah_sayz]

It’s really interesting to me how many people hate the concept of makeup but feel an obligation by their surroundings to wear it

[@matheuscabral2202]

I mean, you can hate it but it works for its purpose, so people will obviously use it!! If they want to be more attractive in some way or simply look a certain way, wearing make up will help them do so. I think the biggest problem is people say that they do it for themselves, not for other people to look, but in the end they just can't live without other people's acceptance, and end up saying they hate makeup while in reality they just hate trying to live up to other people's judgement. :/

[@haydenlmayo]

I'm a man but so much of my self-confidence is dependent on how I look bc of the disparity in attention when I put no-makeup makeup (shoutout my sister) on vs not. people treat you with so much more respect which growing up mistreated, I'm extremely insecure ab. I'll spend hours in the bathroom doing my lashes, brows, facial stretches, etc js to feel more self-conscious

[@OldTimer16s]

I never heard of a guy forcing a girl to wear makeup. Women wear it on their own to better their prospects in the sexual marketplace.

[@miriyumyum3590]

​@@OldTimer16s But isn't that kind of a little forcing from men if you say it improves their sexual prospects?😅

[@miriyumyum3590]

I'm so glad that as a woman i've never felt the urge to wear makeup. And I don't define my value based on my looks.

[@vlad5543eluat]

I, as a straight guy, sometimes find myself, in good fun or as a dare, having my friends put make-up on me. I've done this both indoors with a more "professional look" or on the street, drunk at a bar for laughs and giggles. But there's one thing that always baffles me, when at the end, before I wipe my face and look in the mirror, I can't help but notice that, even as a straight dude, raised more or less systematically in a way that made me lean more towards masculinity, a lot of my perceived imperfections are gone, I suddenly *love* looking at my face. And at first this made think that, wow, this must be a massive confidence boost for a lot of girls without really digging into the implication. It is now, that I realize, as you said in the video, it's not about the make-up face representing an "upgrade", a boost in self-esteem and confidence over the "natural" face, but rather it being inherently perceived as natural, only for the actual natural face to have now become a "downgrade". The natural seems to no longer be (or perhaps never was) a concrete base with a slight want for improvement, but harrowing and far too intimate for the individual to be comfortable with.

[@HaidukeNT]

And I got news for you

[@bhartleby5033]

I love this comment. Thank you for your insight!

[@rebbits]

you said it very well!! as a girl, when i first started trying makeup, it felt a little disorienting. it takes some time to adjust to, to be honest.

[@sovka8394]

niga u gay. time to admit it.

[@Patryyyyck]

typical closeted behaviour, live your truth dude is 2024

[@Ajia_No_Envy]

Makeup is to "enhance" but also to "hide". As an art form, like any creative thing, you are free to choose which version of make up you want to do. But when not given a clear choice and both under the label of makeup, the enhanced look takes over the natural look, therefore becoming a way to hide it.

[@TheCakeIsALie-1]

Hiding isn't always a bad thing either. If you've got a single pimple that you normally don't have, you can use makeup to return to your average appearance. Same with injuries and the like. It's definitely a nuanced conversion

[@YamiBlake]

unrelated, but i love your Claude pfp

[@nyx8642]

@@TheCakeIsALie-1 yeah but that's the point, the fact that you have to hide scars because they look "ugly" enforces the ideal that women should always look gorgeous and pretty to be treated like a normal human being that is equal to man, the fact that 'you have to' to look a certain way is the problem ://

[@MinieAnne]

Sometimes you hide things to have a better canva to experience 1🤷‍♀️

[@TheCakeIsALie-1]

​@@nyx8642 I was more talking about temporary things like a black eye and the like. Covering things that are temporary in nature. Of course the expectation to look a certain way is still not a good thing. But change is hard, and sometimes covering a temporary change is easier than accepting it.

[@erickonami1]

I was kidnapped and forced to binge watch all of your videos and i must say Ive enjoyed them and learned a lot

[@sea_of_love]

😭

[@billclinton8264]

really i learn fuck all

[@sandenson]

​​@@billclinton8264 Getting into leftist theory can be overwhelming for quite a while, whilst you're still getting used to certain concepts. I speak from experience. A lot still flies over my head or confuses me, but it gets better. I've been having several "ohhh, I get it, now" moments every once in a while.

[@that1guy324]

hope you get released dawg 🙏

[@neoshek640]

Same here, and I enjoyed every second of it

[@onedirectioninfection5756]

i've always actively rejected the idea that i should be wearing makeup ever since i was a tween and i definitely felt out of place, especially in high school when the full beat was trendy. i still only ever wear bright lipstick for fun but i'm glad i never gave in to the social pressure to wear it

[@mr.v8467]

This is the unfortunate reality. If all women did what you do, over a generation or two these stigmas and norms would fade. And maybe one day it would be normal not to wear makeup or to wear very little. But the truth is, you will be a small anomaly and the trend won't change because you can only control yourself. And if you tried to start a big movement? It would be divisive, people would be mean to you as a result, try to make you stop. It would have to reach a critical mass which just seems like an unachievable goal. These types of cultural phenomena are powerful and really hard to break. We will probably be stuck with this one for a long long while and individuals will consistently have the choice of breaking the norm and suffering the consequences, or going along to get along. And naturally the majority will go along. Men suffer different norms that are probably equally difficult to change. I find it easy as an individual to follow what I prefer and not give in to outside pressures, but it is hard not to simply feel sad when you look at the big picture with phenomena like this and realize there's this large push to do things that aren't always positive and generation after generation will face the same choice: follow, or suffer

[@eyerisyj]

Lippie girlie here, I never felt like myself whenever i had full glam makeup. Yes I do love lippies and I wear them often, but I’m also chill going out with a comfy outfit and no lippies to grab boba or coffee or whatever. I hope all girls could feel comfortable and confident in their own skin, makeup or no makeup.

[@iara7596]

I think we are affortunate. There are some girls that were raised to believe they needed to be pretty to succeed, they have been told all their lifes "if you're ugly you'll never get a husband/a job/an opportunity". I understand why some women do that and can't scape from that. I've never experienced it, even though sometimes my mom asks me to wear some for parties, I can always reject it. I refuse to use it and change, I admit I'm afraid I will like my face more with make up, and I don't want to feel that way. Before I try it I want to be sure I like and accept my face as it is.

[@Samantha-vlly]

@@mr.v8467 Well said As you said, it’s hard to break this norm. The best thing we could do is to resist it the best way we can.

[@ariadnameza6594]

I also didn’t learn to use makeup, my mom also contributed to that, she only bought or lent me her lipsticks and she also doesn’t use makeup besides that. Putting so much attention and value to how you look is, what I feel, makes people start getting cosmetic procedures. So they can get closer to the image they achieve with makeup, a perfect market strategy and I f*cking hate it.

[@realRatRat]

makeup should never have the goal of “you, but prettier,” which is what no-makeup makeup is supposed to be. sculpting your face into whatever beauty standards wants you to be isn’t art, it’s not for fun, and the only reason it gives a confidence boost is because you then achieve what societal pressures expect of you. do garish colors! make your eyebrows squiggly! make people think you’re cosplaying something!

[@abeerrahman7330]

And I do cosplay😂 I only wear makeup when I do cosplays , other than that I remain bare faced 😂

[@loveinstars]

yes i love wearing an insufferable amount of glitter and fun eyeliner and spider lashes it is so fun

[@Makes_me_wonder]

At work?

[@realRatRat]

@@Makes_me_wonder most workplaces aren't ready for it unfortunately, just don't bother with makeup at work. depending on the place you can figure out what all you can get away with

[@forestgreene5458]

in the video it was said that what someone desires cannot be separated from the way they were conditioned to desire things in childhood: it seems like doing garish colors has an element of counterculture to it, yet at the same time still feeds into consumerism where people are encouraged to buy products in order to "express themselves". I think what you said is a good example of the double bind that olivia mentioned.

[@sircrashtonii9718]

This is actually crazy. I've literally noticed more and more over time that when people are trying to say something nice they will compliment a woman's appearance over anything else, implying that that's what matters and that the compliment hinges on, while I (a person ID'd as male), will get compliments about being smart or something. As I become more aware of this I try to tell women nice things that aren't just "You're so nice" or "You look so pretty today" and give compliments of actual substance (not that I've been conditioned to do that much anyway)

[@dnbjedi]

Or it’s more that women generally only seem to focus on what they look like. It’s culturally induced by both sexes but women have to liberate themselves from cultural-sexual oppression (and not by trying to give in to casual sex as their way out of it). In order for women to escape the sexuality trap they have to stop giving in to sexuality. ….. we’re about 50 years too early for that. Imo.

[@saragabblegoose1075]

Thats really good, im sure alot of females appericate that alot more

[@Atlas_Quin]

@sircrashtonii9718 Now that I think about it almost all compliments I get are based on my appearance. (For context I like to do bright fun makeup, sew clothes, and used to have neon dyed hair that was so bright it glowed in UV light) And none of those compliments ever made me feel as good as when my soccer coach told me my kicks were the most consistent of anyone on the team. While I do pride myself on looking good, I’m good at more than just appearances. The thing I love most about sewing is not just getting to make pretty things, it’s learning how the fabrics and stitches and all the little notions go into making a garment. I’m way more proud of how some hand stitching I’m doing on a dress right now makes a damn near invisible seam than I am of how good it looks on me. In addition, the compliments I like best on my appearance have more to do with things like my use of color and elements that combine and contrast well. To be acknowledged for my skill at something, even when involves appearance, means so much more to me than someone just saying I look good. (Also honorable mention for compliments, I got told once that I reminded someone of Venus McFlytrap at a festival and those were absolutely the vibes I was going for so that was pretty amazing)

[@lonnied5698]

Yes it seems quite rare for a compliment directed to a woman to be regarding anything but appearance. (Rare but not unheard of) (Being a woman myself) It seems like the only value we have is to be pretty, not necessarily useful or helpful members of society. Beauty seems to be the defining characteristic of what a woman should be, as if all her thoughts and feelings take a step back, in favor of how easy she is on the eyes. This unfortunate fact is nothing new. And in my case, when you are not complimented often on the one thing most people expect you to be, it's very disheartening, it makes me feel as if I don't deserve the space I take up. The one thing I'm supposed to be, I can't be.

[@dnbjedi]

you are trying to reason the unreasonable brother.

[@jalskjdsa32]

I have worn some amount of makeup every single day to school since I was 13/14. it started with a bit of lipgloss, brow product, and concealer and by age 16 I was doing a "natural" full face everyday. Im 21 now in college and I still can't go to class without doing my makeup bc I honestly think I look like a different person without it. Makeup has never been an outlet of creative expression for me, it's always been about hiding the parts of my face I dont like. I feel like wearing makeup doesn't really boost my confidence, it just raises my self esteem from being at rock bottom to a bit above that..lol. Most of the time I just feel like Im putting on a mask for the world and hiding my true-ugly- identity and deceiving people. I definitely agree that makeup is a tool of oppression but I also don't know how I'd get by without it. It's bleak

[@brendan6555]

I relate to your struggle (I'm a guy, very rarely I wear light makeup) and thank you for being HONEST. I see too many people saying they "just do it for themselves" and it "just enhances their natural features" but they look completely different with and without.

[@Melissa-sx9vh]

I was just like you, wearing eyeliner/mascara/concealer/brow product to school everyday for years then covid hit and I didn't leave my home for weeks so why bother wearing makeup just to stay at home? At first I didn't like how my bare face looked so I would avoid mirrors then I got used to it and once I could go back outside I pushed myself to go grocery shopping or to the mall without makeup then one day without realising it I didn't mind my face anymore, I could go out to my uni classes without makeup and without being bothered by it. If you can I really encourage you to try and not wear any makeup for as long as you can (during the summer vacations for instance), it really changed my vision of my own face!

[@askejen5207]

take a lot of pictures of yourself without makeup and get used to it yourself. a lot of the "ugly"ness is just shock from a person changing their appearance so quickly

[@natka444]

Me too. I hate it really, its so much money and time but I literally cant go outside without it, even though I still feel ugly with it on

[@DavidJones-ot8qu]

@Slayy05aYou’re still describing using makeup to hide potential insecurities/look better for others. You say it’s “because you like it,” but why do you like it? You think it looks better (which I assume is what you mean by “extra” here) which is the whole issue

[@Patrick45392]

I think every woman looks great with or without makeup, it's just that seeing a girl without makeup for the first time, when they've worn it for their entire life, feels a bit strange at first, like when a person who has always worn glasses or braces removes them for the first time, it's more about the surprise factor rather than "uglyness" cause people are not used to seeing you like that, unfortunately many people take their surprise and transform it into mockery and/or body shaming.

[@RedSky8]

Exactly, i also think that shaming men because of this makes no sense. She explains how engrained make up is in our culture and how it's even hard for her to get away from. And while i do agree it is funny for guys to point at a girl (who has makeup on) and say see i like girls like this, with natural beauty. You can clearly see that because women use makeup so much and have done so for so long. It's even harder for men to tell when a woman is natural or has makeup on, heck I've even see women struggling with it. I also don't think most people are trying to be mean when they say, are you alright, ir are you sick when a girl has no makeup on. They're genuinely trying to make sure they're okay because of course without makeup they have less color on their face. I'm not saying people should or shouldn't make the comments, just that there are reasons why people's minds have been altered to think theses things.

[@lIIIIlIllI]

⁠@@RedSky8hey I just wanted to add my perspective on your comment, I think that there is a healthy level of shame and you can give someone when they make comments like “are you sick” or when they don’t realize someone is wearing the “no makeup” makeup. Shame is a useful tool in the evolution of societies and helping individuals grow. Obviously you should never overdo it and start viciously attacking the person but, a man should receive some shame and be a little embarrassed when he makes comments that could tear down a woman’s self esteem. Even if it isn’t done with any malice intent, the shame could be helpful in the learning process.

[@LinhBell-mb3gn]

​@@lIIIIlIllI cant agree. I think guilt is something normal and can be good for learning. Guilt means feeling bad for your behaviour. However shame is somethimg else. Unlike guilt, shame implies theres something fundamentally wrong with the person themselves instead of the behaviour

[@RedSky8]

@@lIIIIlIllI I'm all for women doing what makes them feel good and levels them up. It's just that unsaturating your face after years or decades of putting on makeup and IG filters will of course have some people commenting. Especially if you put on a ton of foundation, blush, eyeliner, fake eyelashes, drew in your eyebrows where you barely had any, etc. If they're genuinely being rude scold them, if not, then now they know what you look like without makeup and will leave the topic alone. I don't see the need to shame someone for a genuinely neutral comment though. (Really no need to read the rest, I'm just blabbing and explaining my reasoning tbh.) You do bring up a good point about how shame should be used. Honestly, I think most people nowadays shame the life out of men or get a good kick out of making people feel shameful, especially if it has to do with women. I don't know what it is, but people like trying to shame someone and "teach them a lesson" and I'm not a fan of that mentality. I do kind of like what you said about just using a little shame, but I'm hesitant to agree with it fully. Like I'm being shamed for asking a genuine question based off an basic observation. "Hey you alright, just checking to make sure you're not sick or anything". Even if I'm a boss checking on a worker I should be shamed for asking?? I don't know about that. Even if they aren't sick the person could be in a bad head space and needs to be sent home for the day or take break, etc. I do agree that scolding someone and using shame has its place. Like if someone was just being rude and saying, "you look sick, go home" 😂. Women have been wearing makeup for a very long time though and now more women are trying to get away from it, which is great cuz it saves money too. Now men are ACTUALLY seeing what women look like without makeup up or filters on, it makes sense to me that in the age of makeup and filters a guy would be taken aback and might make a comment. It might also depend on the person because the comment is so neutral to me. If you wanna take it negatively and shame someone cool. You can even do it jokingly if want and still get your point across that you're just not wearing makeup and the dude will be like, "cool, now I know what she's like without makeup, no need for me to ask that".

[@saigeskinner6535]

@@RedSky8okay but id like to remind you of how most beauty and lingerie companies are owned by men. especially when they first came around makeup was own by and made by and produced for women. if girls feel shame for not wearing makeup it is both men and womens job to make women feel more comfortable with themselves.

[@missheatmisery]

as someone who’s never worn makeup, i’ve always struggled to articulate my feelings on the subject. i remember being in eighth grade when my mom asked me if i’d like to start wearing makeup, and i said no, and i never have since. i think at the time this was just a teen act of defiance, but now i think it would mess with my self perception if i did wear it, as i’m so accustomed to how i look without it. i think personally it was better for me to work on accepting my insecurities instead of trying to cover them up, but i also understand why many people, especially women, choose to wear it, as there are a lot of pressures associated with it. it’s so ingrained in our society and the global economy that i doubt it’s going anywhere, but i do think it’s really important for people to consider the reasoning behind why they wear it, and whether or not that reason is actually serving them.

[@xxaavviieerrrrr]

Thank you for your insight❤

[@user-sg4ov7ng4h]

I started wearing makeup only because i got tired of looking at my face everyday, like i only do eye makeup (and some foundation where i'm red) and it makes me feel more confident and for me it's fun to apply, i do different things everyday. I feel more like myself in a way, less insecure

[@realRatRat]

i recognized that very early on (my mom would make me wear it so i didn’t look tired… she never steps outside without a full face). my solution was to wear makeup as she asked, but gradually get more and more wild with it. makeup is awesome if you’re doing it like people with alternative styles do

[@iara7596]

I think teenage girls shouldn't use it... They're still growing, developing their self-esteem and sense of identity. How can they grow to be confident women if they are told they need to "enhance" (change, fix, repair, in other words) themselves for being more... pretty? and for what? what is the point on being pretty? We should teach our girls to love themselves. Now I am an adult, but I really wish I understood early I was not supposed to look like an adult, that I was not fully developed and that I was not "in the market" yet at fifteen. 😢

[@fishkisser66]

i don’t know how to feel about either, my mum died when i was young and i’m the eldest so i never had a female figure in my house that could teach me how to wear makeup and be pretty and all that stuff. Also i hate the feeling of product on my face, i feel like a pig just wearing sunscreen (and his probably only makes sense in my head). Everyone at school would be wearing makeup to some extent, but i felt that everyone had in my head that i was very non-girly so it would make me feel dumb if i even wore mascara. To this day i only wear lipgloss and i have no problem with it.

[@charliewatts7577]

i started doing makeup for fun a few years ago, and even though it was meant to be for fun, i still noticed myself starting to adhere to "fixing things". i stated to wear concealer and foundation, and be uncomfortable with my acne and natural skin. there is definitely a way to do makeup for fun! but it has to be intentional and careful, and you need to be aware of your personal engagement with makeup. i think more people would have fun with makeup if it didn't have the heavy societal weight it does.

[@Samantha-vlly]

Great point Bringing awareness with the things you deal is a great way to assess and redirecting whether your view was necessary or not.

[@loveinstars]

yesss exacrly that’s what im trying to unpack. im trying to focus less on covering acne and more on using makeup as self expression and to look fun rather than fit the beauty standards

[@itchylol742]

As Spongebob Squarepants once said, "I'm ugly and I'm proud"

[@BellaKendall-fi4hu]

❤

[@night4263]

I'm a dude, never worn makeup, probably never will. I'm probably commenting too quick since I'm only 12 minutes in but I wanted to say my piece. A lot of my friends ( and maybe even I myself, though I can't recall ) have disregarded an attractive girl wearing makeup by commenting along the lines of "She cakes that stuff onto her face huh" for a good laugh. Even so, so many of my friends idolised and advertised gym culture, hair styling, skin routines. And for what reason? To get hot and get chicks... We laughed at women chasing the same thing we were... Now where am I? I'm afraid to fall out of shape, but feel little satisfaction being in shape.

[@ammardian]

Straight up I was thinking myself as a dude watching this too. Male gym culture is pretty toxic in my eyes, everyone tells you that you need to be in shape to be successful, that your success is invalid if you're not in shape at the same time. It makes me feel like a Hamster running in it's wheel. Success or being a good member of society has to be predicated on so many other factors these days.

[@hoppybirdy6967]

Crap, so both men and women are afraid of not being attractive enough to be loved. It shows up in different ways, but the core loneliness and insecurity is widespread. I wonder how much this applies to previous generations. Is it because gen Z is having a loneliness epidemic, or is there some other cause? I think it had to have started before this generation since my mom knew a woman who went to Harvard but was *terrified* of letting her husband see her without makeup because she was afraid of getting abandoned, cheated on, or no longer loved by her husband despite having other qualities and skills. I'm guessing that this has been going on for generations for men as well, since unrealistic standards of attractive, youthful vitality have been visible in movies that were made some generations ago. If that's true, then this lonely insecurity isn't just a modern phenomenon. So, it's not just overreliance on technology or the recent heights of individualism. Also, isn't it fascinating that the attractiveness seems like it's for finding partners, but it also seems to feel related to competing with one's peers on some level for "coolness?" And why does it also relate to self-esteem? Is it about loveability or trying to prove to ourselves that we are young, healthy, and therefore capable? Idk, I have more questions than answers, but it might be worth investigating further. What do you think?

[@opossumboyo]

I’ll be the opposition here. I do not consider makeup to be a decent comparison to physical fitness. You have far fewer long-term health benefits from wearing makeup than you do from being physically fit. Eating healthily and exercising daily has immense value for almost every human, even if you are not looking for social gains. Wearing makeup may be a positive boon to mental health, and might benefit your skin, but I don’t believe that is commensurate to what you gain from a physically active life. So long as you don’t injure yourself, you are guaranteed a long-term from a focus on physical health, even if it nets you no positive social attention. With cosmetics, the proposed benefit is almost entirely social.

[@iara7596]

​@@opossumboyoI agree! I understand that the point of comparison is that both women and men don't do it for themselves, but for being more attractive for others the opposite gender. Even so, exercising is much more beneficial that wearing make up. Make up is expensive, it is tested in animals, it can be toxic, it's bad for the environment, supports consumerism and also the industry itself works to low the self-esteem of women and girls, while the only flaw I see in working up is maybe that the gym subscription is expensive... If we were still being hypocrite, I wish it was doing exercise, my she wolves. 🕊️

[@night4263]

@@hoppybirdy6967 I feel like insecurity is infectious. At a certain point in our lives we begin to picture how we look to others. For a lot of people, high school is where this begins ( as it was for me ). Insecure people believing that everyone should move to a certain, nigh unattainable standard. I had a friend in high school who just oozed of insecurity and often put others down to prop himself up ( I believe he was doing it subconsciously ). He wasn't a bad guy, he was pretty good at sports and studies too and he didn't look half bad, I'd call him smart as well. He could be funny and considerate as well, he was fun to be around. Though if I could go back and redo high school, I wouldn't be friends with him. A lot of what he said sticks with me, and very little of it is positive. He's a major part of why I never felt like MYSELF during high school, and why I still don't feel like myself. This guy told me that if I wasn't ripped I was ugly, if I wasn't good at sports I'd be talentless, if I didn't ace every test I'd be stupid. It was the constant comparisons of little insignificant things, the incessant bitching over little innocent conversations I had with others, the disingenuous comments made to establish some kind of superiority. This guy made me view myself through the lens of others CONSTANTLY ( and I already had social anxiety ). That's why I mentioned him, he was (or represents) a large part in my developing this "lens" I view myself through. A judgemental, exaggerated, pessimistic lens. I started to view myself through this lens all the time when I was in public, so now It's just something that I always have unless I'm really focused on something, a chip on my shoulder. Everyone develops their own lens that they view themselves through, it's based on their personal experiences. So I think it's that we do want to be loved by others, but we have set such high expectations for our "lenses" that we have a hard time loving ourselves. I think that's how it relates to self-esteem, at least.

[@connerharte7084]

Ive been a guy who was raised by a very butch woman. I cant stand the cultural focus on women’s appearance. I always perceived how her value being based on her actions and not her appearances. It is always such a hard conversation to have with a woman when i simply say “I dont like Makeup”. Not because i don’t understand the concept or reason why people do it. I just hate how much it causes people to struggle

[@realRatRat]

i’d encourage you to phrase it more like you hate certain “”natural”” styles of makeup instead of makeup as a whole. i feel at my best when I use it to look like a weird vampire creature and there is definitely no cultural pressure for me to do it that way lol

[@connerharte7084]

you bring up an amazing point. As an artist, i often assume that people understand the complexities of art. Especially within womens struggles with regards to makeup. Thanks for providing an example of just how makeup can be empowering towards yourself. I often presume others are thinking as hard presume others are thinking as hard about the issue as myself, and forget to provide my perspective of exactly how i feel. :)

[@Can-x8k]

@@connerharte7084what do you think about men who wear makeup? Be careful tho. Don’t get banned for hate speech

[@connerharte7084]

@@Can-x8k dont mean to sound like one of those people. But im a straight guy, and most of my guy friends are gay. They dont usually wear makeup but most of them probably have. With regards to makeup I appreciate and envy the courage to perform, with such artistic courage to make such an effort. Drag queens especially are admirable for their extreme use of style and eroticism to invoke states of uncomfortability for many “straight white dudes”

[@Can-x8k]

@@connerharte7084 more straight men should be like you. It’s a bit close minded to assume that it’s common for gay men to have worn makeup in the past but it’s still better than what many straight men think about lgbtq

[@idonnow2]

I just love how old media literally just says the quiet part out loud through a megaphone

[@maloayral6247]

As a straight white man, I remember once prepping with some friends for a party, and for the fun of it applied eye liner and mascara. I laughed so hard when seeing my face and kept making jokes about it. Until we jumped in the subway and I vividly remember being for the first time in my life stared at, with weird looks of course, but also admiration and desire. I came back home later that night and I felt empowered and felt damn good looking. All of this to say, it's fascinating how even though I was just discovering the male gaze for the first time, not a great experience per se, it felt empowering to feel like I finally deserved it. Patriarchy is weeeiiird. Made a grown straight man feel good being stared at.

[@mariasosin2259]

No, please don’t feed into that. HUGE NOSES ARE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL! MY YOUNGER SISTER HAS HOODED EYES AND THESE ARE THE BRIGHTEST MOST LOVELY EYES I EVER SAW! Nobody ever will be perfect and I am so sorry we are born into a world telling us we are anything but beautiful

[@tsetsegdelgero8887]

thanks for this comment ❤

[@lapvona]

yes i agree i love huge noses, hooked noses, noses with bumps etc !! they’re all so wonderful and unique

[@tasmiachowdhury3666]

Seeing a makeup ad before this is ironic

[@Pioneer_DE]

Use Adblock if on PC

[@Umesh-Kumar]

how

[@Mh-gq7rs]

​@@Pioneer_DE ​@Umesh-Kumar What likebon of yall forgot how adds work and the other completely missed the irony

[@Mh-gq7rs]

​@@Umesh-Kumar ^ |

[@tasmiachowdhury3666]

@@Pioneer_DE i was watching this on my phone 😢 - this would never happen on my beloved firefox

[@rixiu7669]

Something that is not talked about enough is how makeup can change the way we percieve ourselves. You get used to what you see in the mirror and if you only wear makeup and always look at yourself with only makeup on, this influences your perception of yourself. When I was in high school I started wearing mascara to fit in with the other girls tbh. Then after some time I didn't like my face anymore unless I was wearing mascara. So I quit putting on mascara for a while and at some point I felt good without mascara again. I saw this in people online that make videos that basically say: "My makeup routine to go from a disgusting ugly beast to pretty" and to me this woman looks pretty without makeup, because I am surrounded by women, who don't wear any, and then she puts on so much that it completely changes her face. And I don't think it's wrong, but I do believe she she got used to her face with makeup on and doesn't feel good without, because her self-perception has changed over time. I don't think it is wrong to wear makeup and I also do it sometimes, but be aware that you can get relient on it to feel like yourself! And I think at that point it is not empowering, but you start to depend on it to feel good and like yourself at all.

[@Samantha-vlly]

I haven’t got interest in cosmetics until this year. I started with lipgloss and now eyeliner. I got now the idea and feeling of me being confident, but I never got into the point where makeup is necessary to me, only in some occasions. Also, the part you said “influences your perception” helps me to question my direction.

[@FlutterliciousLP]

I live in Europe, and me and most of my friends rarely ever wear makeup. Noone bats an eye on it. The people I do see wearing full faces of makeup - dramatic eyebrows, highlighter, nude overdrawn lips, false eyelashes - are mostly teenage girls. I admire their craft, but I also worry that by starting out so young, their confidence in the way they look naturally will take a dive lateron.

[@bonjourbonsoirbienvenue]

As someone who lives in france, do y'all think that wearing makeup in europe is different from wearing makeup in the us? I never went there but from what i've seen on the internet, it doesn't seem very different?

[@Ruby...X]

@@bonjourbonsoirbienvenue Hello! French here! Honestly i also think it's the same, the problem is people these days and especially teenagers, are getting brainwashed by what they see on apps like tiktok, instagram and so on..they see everyone do it so they wanna do it too to "fit in" and it results in the whole thing being "normalized" .Young girls are pressuring themselves to grow up by acting like the adults they see on social media. It's very sad, and im glad i never fell into that trap, im very confident about my beauty, i get alot of compliments for my hair, the way i dress and so on, mostly because i stand out and don't dress like everyone so that is also a factor, i would honestly never understand the urge to absolutely want to fit in a certain group. Not my thing!

[@bonjourbonsoirbienvenue]

@@Ruby...X young girls are even easier targets for companies. The feeling of having to fit in is even worse in middle school (from my experience), so it's understandable but what I don't understand is the parents who aren't trying to educate their young kids on makeup

[@Samantha-vlly]

@@Ruby...X The problem most of the people can’t see is that what they’re seeing in their Reels are not representative of all people. There are many categories and sub-categories and it’s the algorithm feeding what you engage with those times, which people aren’t aware of.

[@snoopyjam]

what europe are u living in... a lot of ppl do wear full faces, just not with the obvious characteristics u mention

[@thehuman2cs715]

I'm so thankful for what you said in this video as a cis straight guy who has always felt appelled about how much women are pressured to be as beautiful as possible when in public spaces but felt scared to make any criticism because it isn't my lane and some women adore makeup and other beauty products. Seeing a woman who wears makeup make the same criticisms as me feels freeing and I no longer feel so guilty about having objections towards this while thing.

[@Can-x8k]

What do you think about men who wear makeup? Mr. Cis straight guy.

[@thehuman2cs715]

@@Can-x8k Nothing because I don't encounter any of them in my day to day, but if I saw one and the vibes were right I'd probably compliment him because of how transgressive it is for men to wear makeup outside of a few edge cases.

[@s13rr4buf3]

You sound like a very smart, sensitive guy.

[@4r1777]

i feel extremely privleged ive never been expected to wear makeup as a guy. when i was younger i had horrible dysmorphia regarding my face, and i think if makeup was an expectation for guys the way it is for women, it would have been so much harder for me to reach some sort of base level of self-acceptance.

[@anotherrandomguy8871]

Don’t be. As a male, there are diffetnet expectations and beauty standards that you or I cannot change about our bodies, but that doesn’t mean you must feel bad because you aren’t specifically expected to wear make-up.

[@sophiaisabelle01]

That's probably why people have problems with makeup. It's not because they don't want to feel beautiful, but rather it makes them realize that it's not benefitting by any means necessary.

[@iara7596]

It is not a necessity to feel beautiful, too. I also think it is interesting to talk about why do we need to feel beautiful. Why being beautiful makes us feel better.

[@Ruby...X]

I've never wear makeup simply due to the fact that i do not need makeup to be beautiful, i prefer staying natural and not degrate my skin by putting a ton and a ton of products on my face just to completely look like someone else. I feel like it's uncanny and dehumanizing in a way.

[@nanomia]

@@Ruby...X there are different styles not all makeup change your face to "look like someone else" you can just enhance your natural features

[@DavidJones-ot8qu]

@@nanomiaChanging, or enhancing your features, as you put it, is looking like someone else. You don’t look like you with enhanced features, so you no longer really look like yourself. That’s the point of makeup

[@starry-eyedgeek]

I'm in a weird situation where I am an African-American cis woman who hates wearing makeup but has never felt compelled to wear it. Even at parties or in social situations, I skip the makeup routine entirely. I do have many other female friends who love wearing makeup though, so this was an interesting video to watch, with many different perspectives I've never considered. Definitely sharing this! My personal opinion is, when it comes to stuff like makeup and fashion trends, can admit that while these are things most likely made up to oppress women, if people are having fun with it, let them have their fun. Sometimes it is tiring always thinking "Even if I want to do this, is it indicative of a higher social construct?" Sometimes I just want to do what I want to do without thinking too hard about it, and I have many friends who feel the same.

[@Samantha-vlly]

Mindset definitely play role(and I think a lot more)

[@dhiambi6415]

Same! I'm a Black cis woman who doesn't wear makeup either. This video kind of brought up another question for me and I wanted to ask your opinion on this. I feel like hair in the black community is equivalent to makeup for western white woman. Even though I don't wear makeup, I feel this need to make sure my hair looks snatcht (braids, flat twists, cornrows, etc). I wonder if you feel like hair bears the same resonance for you? I also agree, you brought up such a great point- it's so tiring thinking of the implicit meaning behind things... people should be able to just do what they want!

[@chxrryery4188]

@@dhiambi6415thiss!! I see conversations about hairstyles being to childish (box braids) and not birthday material and all that stuff and excessive policing of hair esp edges it’s so tiring

[@CrepuscularQueen]

As a young woman who doesn't wear makeup and never really has, I have a deep need and curiosity to understand the people who wear makeup and why. I get the general why of wearing makeup, but I will never have the emotional experience of wearing it around people as my casual get up for the day or to look presentable and that fear of how people will see me without it. Thank you for putting this video together because makeup for what it means to people and society greatly intrigues me.

[@futuristicgirl14]

also glitter is fun, simple as that

[@RedDrowned]

I'm 20 years old and I don't wear makeup (not trying to be a pick me please hear me out). I always experienced a sort of uncanny valley effect with my face once there was makeup on it - foundation, lipstick, eyelashes, you name it. So I never really ended up wearing it on the regular because it literally messed with my head, though I knew the tweaks it made were rather subtle (like covering under eye bags and beauty marks on my face), it always struck me as some humongous change. I can attest to the oppresive factor of makeup because whenever I go to a more "formal" setting without makeup (I went to prom in middle school without it, in high school I did a small eyeliner wing) I always got judged for not putting enough effort into my looks. On the flip side, I'm complimented on the daily for being "brave" for wearing my natural, bare face. I also often feel like I look very young for my age because most girls even younger than me have a daily makeup look, so at this point a bare face looks rather childish even in comparison to a "no makeup" makeup look.

[@Macheako]

Little tip: nothing screams pick me like taking the time outta your day to let everyone know you’re not being a pick me. Fr, that’s just how it gets interpreted by people hearing it. My advice is to just own it girl ❤ Be you

[@eden1294]

That's EXACTLY how i feel as well and I was convinced I just don't know how to do it right but even when I had a friend to my makeup I didn't feel any better. I just feel like I'm trying to pass for a pretty girl and that I'm failing lol

[@RedDrowned]

@@Macheako feel like people will take the time out of their day to call a person out for any little difference these days lol so I felt the need to disclose it but thank you!

[@nuggetbtl]

Same! I don't wear makeup and look like I'm 13 when I am actually 18 :,). Even if I try to weal a little makeup, I feel like I might look like a small child with makeup.

[@Macheako]

@@RedDrowned oh they will ❤️ and oh they do 😂

[@softwaifu]

I've had this realization before, but this video made me think again about how lucky i was to grow up brown in the early 2000's because i truly feel like i was spared so many of these self-esteem, dysmorphia issues. I was never going to look like Brittney or Jessica, so my aesthetic role models became the women i knew irl that looked like me....

[@chazzyloveee]

My parents banned me from wearing makeup during high school, so I spent my teenage years seldomly thinking about makeup. I remember finally trying makeup and feeling very disappointed because none of the shades looked good on me. I am a brown woman and I didn’t have many foundation options at the time. Since I was so used to going out barefaced it wasn’t really a big deal for me. I also really like sleeping in and not waking up to do my face. Now I just do my lips, brows, and eyes if I wake up early enough~ which is not very often. Sometimes I do feel more beautiful when I wear makeup and I notice strangers are nicer to me too. But I think my laziness trumps all external validation haha. As a result, I’m more insecure about my natural features like my nose and chin, so I can never escape it as a woman.

[@irrelevance3859]

i am the same

[@torgo_]

Generally speaking for girls it's really important for them to feel beautiful and attractive, much more important than for men. I remember when I first discovered this, and how strange and alien it seemed. The old lady who lives next door, or my elderly mother, or whoever, I always go above and beyond to comment how they look pretty or glowing, things like that, and I notice how much to seems to brighten their day, it makes a huge impact, I think it's a good thing to do. But sometimes I wonder if this obsession with physical appearance is cultural, is it brainwashing by the pressure placed upon women and girls from such a young age? Maybe it's a learned behaviour that ends up causing more harm than good.

[@swagcat420]

To play on your first sentence; generally speaking, adults tend to put the majority of importance on young girls beauty and appearance. In my personal experience, most compliments and praise I received growing up revolved around my appearance, not my abilities or actions like my brother received. It was very alienating as a child and still is to be “known” as my physical appearance. We need to stop viewing the attractiveness of a young girl or woman as the most important thing about her. Compliment the old ladies on how pretty they’ve made their garden beds or how kind they’ve been to you. See and speak of the beauty within every man and woman, but do not end your admiration there.

[@torgo_]

​@@swagcat420 So perhaps this focus on beauty is just conditioning and brainwashing from our warped culture, that's kinda messed up and sad. I totally agree with you, and I do often make remarks on other things, which are much more important. But regardless it doesn't have the same effect. For better or worse, many women seem to hold the perception of their appearance as the most critical factor above all else. Like the quote in the video at 1:04

[@torgo_]

@@swagcat420 By the way I don't think this is vanity, and I am not saying this as a criticism of women, it just seems to be the way things are. There are also silly things that men (myself included) seem to hold in very high regard, despite them being trivial and inconsequential.

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

it's called patriarchy

[@torgo_]

@@transsexual_computer_faery That's a big part of the problem. But also objectification, infantilisation and degradation of women is something that occurs between women and their peers, within friend groups and family groups. It's founded on an ideology that is deeply rooted, to a point where it's invisible and often unintentional, even built into the very structure of our language.

[@Alobster1]

I think one of the paradoxes of makeup is that a lot of it is bad for your skin. Makeup can make your complexion worse therefore requiring more makeup to cover it up

[@Aisha-vj7js]

Exactly! That is crazy

[@nanomia]

my skin was horrible all my life but the days where I wear makeup everyday it becomes great with less pimples so weird it's always harmful to the skin

[@naelitaa]

not quite true, complexion makeup products are only bad for your skin if you don't properly remove them with thorough cleansing

[@Alobster1]

@@naelitaa Too much cleaning of the face strips away natural oils and causes it to dry out. I used to get way more acne until I just stopped washing my face as much. You can't tell me that having a bunch of shit that isn't supposed to be on your skin with zero regulations on ingredients is ok if you have it on for part of the day and remove it.

[@naelitaa]

@@Alobster1 idk, most people should wash their faces once a day and if you wear makeup you only need to add an oil cleanser. but good for you if that worked ! I have personally been wearing makeup relatively regularly for years and have noticed no changes in my skin during times where I wear makeup and times where I don't

[@denusklausen3685]

I have very thin eyelids as a man so you can see my veins clearly which makes it look like I have eyeshadow/eyeliner on (well most importantly it looks like I'm wearing makeup as a guy) and I get a lot of people asking me why I wear it or straight up giving my nasty remarks. The other side of the coin is that most male models we see online is wearing make up but its looked down upon when you wear it in real life.

[@luizairinam2136]

I love watching Olivia videos like this one cause it feels like I am in a seminary in college for Corporal Poetics or Feminine identities and alterities and she is one of my friends presenting her project on this week's topic

[@brillianthelios3118]

It's not too different from wearing a dress while spending most your time at home in pajamas (as I do, lol), or eating an ice cream while eating healthier food during the week. People need a window of time every now and then to relax and enjoy, makeup is just that. If you don't hate your face when you're not wearing it, then it's all good. Moreover, the truly important people will always know how you look without makeup because they're the ones close to you, so you're not deceiving anyone

[@dry_strawberries]

I like and agree with this take

[@nanomia]

love this take!

[@dianarojo-jewell4070]

Sort of agree and disagree. For dresses, I've been less pressured since they're viewed as fancier and nice trousers and a top are also acceptable, but they're not everyday wear. But I do think both should be up to personal choice (but one has much more societal pressure than the other currently)

[@StratosFair]

You seem to have a healthy relationship with make-up and your appearance and that's great, I think everyone who uses make-up should strive for that. But judging from the discussion in this comment section, or even the examples given in the video, it's not the case for everyone obviously (some girl said she still hasn't shown her bare face to her boyfriend of SEVEN years !). Sadly as a cis guy who doesn't wear makeup, i don't have much else to contribute to the discussion, but the potentially oppressive nature of make-up is definitely a real thing.

[@boardoreos305]

My ex slowly went from doing wearing minimal makeup (Blush and foundation) to more full makeup like (including already listed, eye shadow, eye liner, and more stuff that I don’t know the name of 😭😭). But I always reassured her that I loved the way she looked without makeup and that she was beautiful without it (and I truly meant it). I one day asked her why she wore make up and she said “for confidence” which bewildered me. As I look at it as my words didn’t mean anything to her at the time. There’s nothing wrong with more confidence of course, but it just really felt like she was soul searching while being with me. But hey what can I say, she cheated on me 💀

[@picklespeas9623]

Omg there would be days where I just felt exhausted and didn't care at all about putting makeup on, but whenever I got to school, people would always ask me, "oh my gosh are you okay?", and I'd answer, "yup I'm just not wearing makeup!". Like many days I felt worse but put makeup on and no one said anything unless my demeanor physically changed. I love makeup and use it mainly as an accessory for my outfits, but sometimes I just have a hard time looking at my face and seeing myself as a beautiful person without it. I tend to use dark colors, Glitter, and fun accents to highlight things I want people to notice about me. Without it I just feel bland and sometimes ugly. Not to mention people love commenting on how worn down I look without it so it just makes me wonder what the makeup is for, my own aesthetic enjoyment or a mask of how people perceive me that I can't afford to live without.

[@Ruby...X]

It's the opposite for me lol! i also have a very specific style which is victorian goth, and i never wore makeup like ever, i tried maybe once to put on makeup but then i was like no bc it's just not my thing, it didn't feel like myself and overall i found myself way prettier without it! I believe the reason you feel "ugly" without it is because you got so used to wearing makeup that once you take everything off you feel like a complete different person, and it's really not surprise to me, i've seen videos of women who were wearing makeup all the time and once they didn't have their makeup on they looked so different, i feel like makeup is extremely toxic in a way and has kind of the same effect as drugs on people, they use it one time just for the fun and when they start to realize that it looks good they just keep using it and using it over and over again to the point that they can't live without it. It's interesting but at the same very worrying. You're not ugly, you see yourself as "ugly" because you're not perfect but really nobody is, everyone has their flaws, and hell even some people embrace those flaws to make themselves more beautiful and stand out even more! Take people with vitiligo for exemple, some part of their body might not be the same colour but who cares, they're still really beautiful! I've seen people with scars and burns ect..Yet they embrace it and try their best to accept themselves as who they are and not hiding it, In a few years all of this wont matter anymore, when our skin is going to fall flat on our stomachs they wont be any sort of products or makeup to fix that. Be you and love yourself, you deserve it, alot! (Sorry for rambling, im french and talk alot lol)

[@Samantha-vlly]

@@Ruby...X The rabbit hole of being interested with makeup happened to me month ago, I was trying to put eyeliner and I liked it. I use eyeliner(even though I don’t go outside) just for fun and now, I think it’s times to reflect with it. This video really helped

[@NostraDavid2]

I bet you have darker skin around your eyes, which if this suddenly shows up on a face can indicate disease, so I'm not surprised by their reactions. Foundation (and concealer for that matter) is a literal mask you put on your face, intentional or not. The same can't be said for eyeliner, blush, bronzer, etc, which just accentuates parts of your face.

[@samonemonet]

crying in the club about how some cosmetics have been reappropriated as tools for identity within some communities of women. feels like when flowers grow out of the cracks in cement. we are all just trying to heal and get back what oppression takes from us. :*)

[@iara7596]

I just can't get out of my mind how women have to look different from themselves to be accepted for society, or even for themselves. Why can't women just be the way we are? Why men can have their natural features, ugly or not, while women have to be pretty all the time? When did we start hating our own face? When did our identity become someone we need to hide? Why do we need to change ourselves to feel good? I stand with the people who don't wear make up for beauty purposes, I stand with people who support the appreciation of natural features in women and men. I understand some (I'd say, the majority) women do it because they're insecure about their appearance, but if we weren't raised since little girls to believe we needed to use make up, I bet most of them wouldn't use it. Make up is not something we need to make part of "girlhood". Make up should be artistic, a tool of expression, not a tool of oppression and source of insecurities.

[@LibraryofAcousticMagic3240]

what do you think about preteen girls putting make up on each other for experimentation and then removing it shortly after? (just curious)

[@vivvy_0]

cheers 🥂

[@murph_mustela]

The fact that men are 'supposed' to be unattracted to women in their natural state without make up - and especially to be unattracted or disgusted by things that are literally indicators of a healthy, fertile adult - body hair, armpit hair, minimum bodyfat, darker/longer labia, pubic hair, the ability to menstruate - to me indicates something has gone seriously wrong not with women, but with our culture. Our ancestors were getting along just fine without any of this crap for the past 200,000 years.

[@iara7596]

@@LibraryofAcousticMagic3240 you already say it, if it is for experimentation, curiosity or artistic purposes, then there's nothing wrong with it. I just hate the idea that we teach girl to use make up to be "pretty" and "the best version of themselves" as if they were not enough with their natural features.

[@iara7596]

@@murph_mustela When I think about the ancient women, our "homo" ancestors and see their features... I don't know whether to cry or laugh thinking about how men (and women) these days would feel if they see those women. Completely natural without any make up (and sometimes even without clothes), with lots of body hair, prominent stomach and big strong muscular arms... men those days would have died for those women, but now men will die of a heart attack if they see a women with that description 🤣 Society has messed up our sence of attraction, since in nature adult males prefer adult females with females characteristics... But it seems than some men don't even know what's a female or an adult female, and then they prefer a irreal version of women, a very infantilized version, and we women sadly cooperate with it doing all that stuff men like (wearing make up to look prettier and young, doing exercise not to become strong but smaller, shaving, etc).

[@김서정-y8v]

tldr is basically it's not makeup itself that's the problem, but our relationship to it - i agree with that - plenty of nuances that should be considered. like with the little sephora kids - it's perfectly fine and normal for a young girl to have fun with makeup by wearing mascara & lip gloss & playing with glitter eyeshadow, but concerning when a young girl has to wear a full beat everyday to feel accepted by her peers & by boys. good when they are building habits to wear moisturizer and sunscreen, bad when they're already putting on retinol/acids and exhibiting materialistic desires at such young ages. this part is obvious. the difficult part is that because these beauty expectations are conditioned at such impressionable/developmental points in our lives, it's hard to genuinely distinguish what we want for ourselves vs what we are doing to conform and denying ourselves (& others) in the process - even harder when looks are an undeniable social currency & what societally dictates a woman's value, all of which you've touched on in this video, i'm just restating here there are healthy vs unhealthy ways of wearing makeup. in this video, artistic / self expression makeup was put under "no win or lose", still contributes to oppression category, it really doesn't though - makeup is a hobby like any other. like the little kids playing with glitter eyeshadow, that's just having fun. natural enhancement of features i don't think is oppressive either. same with cultural makeup. but i'm still not convinced drastic before or afters that alter features to fit an ideal are "empowering" - even if not explicitly stated, those videos imply that the before/untouched face is worse than the heavily done ones and perpetuate a negative message, but honestly, makeup you just wipe off at the end of the day. unless you feel forced to do it it's not a big deal, and if you feel comfortable with your natural face when it wipes off, any amount you wear is fine. i follow some makeup artists and i don't take issue with them - it's hard to see them as doing something unethical when it's natural makeup/simple enhancements messaging something separate i disagree with though is that i don't think putting trans women as an example was the best example of a counterpoint; not in the sense that trans women aren't real women, but the issues trans women face are different from cis women (some overlap, but there are some things that trans women experience that cis women won't) - if a trans woman doesn't wear makeup, she will be seen as a man by the external world, so she wears makeup to look feminine (not saying that this is right, just restating what's in the essay), whereas when a cis woman doesn't wear makeup, she will be seen as a woman/feminine regardless by the external world, but not the "ideal/proper/perfect" woman. i think the differences here is an important distinction - it's external acceptance for gender identity vs the quest for perfection/meeting an ideal, which is why it can't be fully compared in the same way. (reiterating that i'm not saying this to be exclusionary to trans women, but saying this because while i'm critical of the pressure for cis women to conform to a societal ideal through alterations, i understand that for trans women, it is different and doesn't apply in the same way; for trans women it isn't just an issue of lookism/lack of opportunities like it is for cis women, but conforming as a trans woman through alterations can serve as protection against more severe forms of discrimination and at times, safety, so when i say i am critical of these things for cis women, i'm saying it's not a comparable situation because this does not apply if you are trans) (btw i just wanna throw in just because i disagree with some parts of this video most of it i agree with and i think it's been put together well, and i think this is important to talk about so i'm glad there's a video being made on it inciting discussion)

[@김서정-y8v]

i'm gonna say again that, i don't think makeup is a big deal since you aren't making any permanent decisions or putting yourself in potential danger (beyond creating a potentially unhealthy mental relationship with yourself and makeup, you're not putting yourself at actual physical risk); when you wipe it off, you're still you. most of my criticisms are towards surgical alterations that you can't walk back from as easily, or denying personal comforts, like feeling forced to comply to do hair and makeup and doing so, despite not wanting to, or external pressures that reinforce our value as women are contingent on how we look and also, i'm not saying trans women don't have input in the conversation, i'm acknowledging that there are differences that need to be contextualized when it comes to trans vs cis. so when i say that i'm critical of the pressure to conform in the pursuit of perfection, i am not roping trans women into that - if an average looking woman does not conform, she at most loses social validation and her natural features, employment and relationship opportunities to a lesser degree, vs for a trans woman, not conforming can be subject to targeted harassment and safety issues from transphobia, which a cis woman will not experience. there are more legitimate safety concerns vs. just social validation & material losses - i'm not saying that you have to wear makeup if you are trans (also that was also just literally restating a point in this essay if you watch it lol), or surgically conform or not, regardless of what the decision is, i'm saying that feminization alterations are a separate scenario, and my critique of the pursuit of perfection or societal conformity does not involve trans women, since their risks are different ------- i put this in the collapse since this video is about makeup, and it's not 100% the same, but relevant - i'm mostly thinking of our current culture surrounding permanent alterations & beautifying for social benefits against internal desires, since i've seen a similar mentality being passed as empowering in regards to these. similar to what is said in the video, the argument is mostly "pretty privilege exists, therefore, it isn't bad to conform to them because of the loss of social benefits when you resist", and that when you do comply, because it's an issue rooted in an oppressive system, that absolves individual partaking in it. but when we look at our current state - where (just gonna submit now to save but i'll finish this later)

[@DestivaKukurice]

I personally don't wear make-up, but get comments from others to wear makeup all the time, the most hurtful comment I got was in art class when I drew a girl and a guy stopped by and said that the girl looks like she has makeup and that I should put on makeup, even though I've never wore it in public. Also my girl classmates tell me that I'm beautiful but if I put makeup than I'll get more friends and stuff like that. Thank you for this video. It's really interesting, to learn how others feel about makeup and without it, since it means a lot to a lot of people.

[@r.s.6357]

Dont let these people get you down! I know it is hard, I know it sucks sometimes, but I promise you School will end and it will get easier! When you are older you will never regret not wearing makeup. Keep it up❤

[@tooSocktastic]

A good contemporary example of the “race to the bottom” of make up normalization is beauty filters. They started out with a few early adopters who were ostracized for being “unnatural” or “insecure”. Eventually, so many people adopted the practice that to not use them is seen as a (to put it mildly) weird thing to do. I just made a video essay on human beauty more generally and wanted to dig into this topic. But, I couldn’t quite find the space. Thanks for the thorough discussion! It was well thought out and I appreciate the defense of individuals - especially in messy circumstances.

[@cynthiacrescent]

Material analysis is always more relevant and important than moral analysis, and your choice to stick to the former is commendable.

[@Samantha-vlly]

Both should be practiced.

[@cynthiacrescent]

@@Samantha-vlly moral analysis is a laughable cop out for people whose entire world view revolve around "I don't like it".

[@ananyashrivastav8298]

olivia, your videos make me ponder so much about things in my life that i never give much thought into and keep following everyone like a sheep in a herd. this video and the abortion video are my favourite because of how much it made me question my own beliefs and challenged me mentally. i appreciate the quality of your thoughts and arguments. my favourite essay youtuber indeed!

[@anywallsocket]

the 'double-bind' of oppression makes sense as general causal structure, specifically the notion of 'regression to the mean'. if the general flow is going one way, but you don't want to, you are 'doubly-bound' in the sense that if you go along with it, you'll be going against yourself, but if you go away from it, the nature of the system will try to force you back by pressures of the norm. this is what it means to be embedded in causal structures.

[@sumeyyyya]

29:00 Dana Densmores comment on this topic hit me incredibly hard. The feeling of disappointment in yourself after achieving the status of a beautiful object, and then waking up the next morning and loathing yourself until you become a beautiful object again, is a feeling that I've been so ashamed of that I have never talked about it with anyone. Thank you for making this incredibly well researched and structured video, Olivia. This is a topic that I've been afraid of confronting since my teenage years. It brings me comfort that I am not alone in feeling this way.

[@sanskriti2599]

Every person has different perspectives on things. Some might find makeup useful, as in some parts of the world, women are shamed for not following unique beauty standards. For some people, you look beautiful in a simple way, while others appreciate your knowledge and skills related to makeup and beauty. Makeup is perceived as oppressive as it makes you change the way you naturally look or creates the illusion of a desired beauty standard. Yet, at the same time, it has made many girls feel more confident, regardless of how they look. We cannot say that makeup is inherently bad unless it is composed of chemical substances, but honestly, it all depends on our perspective as to whether we appreciate the goodness of natural beauty or shame glamorous women. In my opinion, being natural or beautifying one's face or body is perhaps not a sure indication of a distorted inner nature, insecurity, shallowness and vanity. Everyone in the world loves beauty, whether they admit it or not. Some women are blessed with natural beauty and self-confidence, so they don't feel the need to wear makeup. There are many women in the world who don't give a damn about how they look, but millions of women feel degraded by remarks made by many people who dismiss beauty as something that is achieved through makeup rather than something that is "natural." Several men also make fun of women for being "fake" and claim that they only want to be with "natural women." So, we can conclude that society's standards are constantly changing, and it is important for women to feel secure in how they look rather than fulfilling the expectations of others without caring for their own.

[@orangenasa]

Without realizing, putting on make-up was no longer a free choice but a necessity. Just know that when you wake up next to him without wearing any make-up and he's still the same person, you need to keep him at all costs

[@Macheako]

Aww, that’s really sweet 😂❤

[@katedaynegriggs]

this past semester at college i was really struggling, i wore make up every day because i felt insecure, and the one day i chose to go bare faced my professor said, “kate, you look really tired” infront of the ENTIRE class like it was an announcement. she then went on about it for like, 5 minutes straight…

[@anthonyalles1833]

I would have bet a lot of money that that comment was made by a female professor. Never in my life, as a man, have I ever come across a man making any kind of comment about a woman's makeup. The reality, in my own limited experience, is that most men simply don't notice or register makeup at all, unless it's so excessive as to reach the point of caricature - e.g. those awful fake eyelashes or insanely long fake nails. The problem with this video, as with so many others, is its unwillingness to raise the politically inconvenient fact, that the majority of the policing of women's appearance is done by other women. Until this fact is addressed, you're not really going to make any progress.

[@SebasDaviid]

I put the video to learn about the politics of makeup but I end it learning about the compassion that one has to build around oneself and others in resisting to and at the same time living within oppressive structures. I don't think it was messy, it's a great video that has a really big philosophical meaning, and I'm grateful to have chosen it before going to sleep. Thanks for working so hard!

[@rileysjonger4192]

I hate the stigma I get from other women and femmes for being makeupless and unashamed to be, but it also has internalized a lot of self-hatred for my own appearance because of it. As a non-binary femme, I would love to learn how to do makeup, and sometimes I do wear it, but in general, I don't have the money, time, energy, or even the healthiest skin to practice makeup on, and that's something so many people don't seem to understand, especially other women. I've literally been called a "pick me" for saying makeupless women need representation and assurance too, and I'm just like ??? We constantly get mocked by women for not wearing makeup, while at the same they preach feminist messages about the oppressive beauty standards and how people can barely afford to pay their bills. And yet they call us misogynistic for asking for advice, defending our grounds, and don't realize that many us us simply don't have the money nor time to do makeup?? I feel more comfortable around men and males regarding the topic because so many women are hypocritical and outright bigoted toward other women/femmes. There's also the problem of middle-upper class conventionally attractive white women who dominate the conversation of beauty standards, yet marginalized women like POC, impoverished, and disabled women are harmed the most by these standards. They are given little to no form to voice their concerns despite how these beauty standards affect them the most. These very same "allies of women" almost always blame men exclusively for these beauty standards, but most attacks on my appearance have been done by other women and female-dominated ad campaigns, not men. I speak for a significant portion of toeher women, too, and the statistics don;t lie about this, either, when you consider that female-on-female bullying is the most common form of bullying. Women are just as much to blame for upholding patriarchal standards and beauty standards as men are. In general, we need to stop being judgemental of what people choose to do with their bodies (as long as it's reason, but that goes without saying) and we need to abolish beauty standards and stop blaming just one side.

[@fantuswitt9063]

You are so close to understanding that there is no patriarchy, you just have to understand woman can independent of men’s hierarchies and ideas be toxic.

[@rileysjonger4192]

@@fantuswitt9063 No, I absolutely understand that. But both patriarchies and matriarchies exist and neither can be denied. It's just that people think that only the patriarchy exists and that it's the worst of all evils to have ever existed. Beauty standards are rooted in both oppression by men AND women.

[@crediblesalamander8056]

​@@rileysjonger4192 it really depends on your definition. but matriarchies in the traditional sense don't exist currently and we have little to no evidence of them ever existing in any society in any time period ever. what does exist is a prevalent myth that there was a matriarchy before in some unspecified earlier time and the women fucked everything up so the men had to take over and fix things. nowadays the messge of the myth is flipped or subverted, but the content of the myth remains in some sense. patriarchy isn't a system in which women are victimized by men. it is a system in which the idea of men's "superiority" to women victimizes both in very different ways. of course it's asymmetric, being a "man" is no doubt "preferable". but it's that very assymetry that makes it so hard to break. that makes the struggles of the "other" side so hard to empathize with. the most strigent reinforcers of patriarchy are often women and it's by design. this is how oppression works. for example, women (usually) are the ones expected to (mostly) raise their children, and they want them to be safe. safe means to conform, to shield them from society's harsher glare. a glare which they unwittingly become part of, thus perpetuating the system. patriarchy poisons the dynamics between women and men, between men and men AND between women and women. women being shitty to other women or men doesn't mean there's a matriarchy.

[@riccardo9953]

any system of oppression perpetrated by one side on the other is weak, if you hold people down eventually they will fight back. the system can only ever be self sustaining when it seems natural and when the oppressed perpetrate it. capitalism places workers against each other calling anyone lazy if they fail to maximize productivity and enrich their employers, hating the unemployed and other victims of the system. Some hail it as a natural order and everything we do is dictated by it. the patriarchy does the same. yet it's not Jeff Bezos that holds capitalism up, if he were to fight it he would be replaced by someone who maximizes shareholder value. Any stable system must be self sustaining. men may benefit from patriarchy in many ways (although it is also harmful in many ways) but we can't turn a switch and end it, nobody can. it's a difficult battle, but one that must be fought. systems of oppression are rlly f*cking difficult to abolish, the less people they effect they easier they are to start but also end. when they effect the entire population they usually just get replaced by something similar.

[@brownlesbo]

​@@fantuswitt9063" there is no patriarchy " is very "there is no war in ba sing se"😊

[@huskymajestic5411]

Would love to watch a similar breakdown about men and building muscle/being muscular with the same concept as doing it for themselves and not for the other gender as most are suspected of.

[@nanomia]

me as a woman living in a very conservative religious society where wearing makeup and removing hijab can endanger your life and is very socially unacceptable so I wear makeup to express myself and rebel against these societal rules

[@vivvy_0]

stay safe 🙏

[@Ana-dm5hw]

I LOVED the theme of this video, I was talking about it with my friend yesterday, how makeup has become a kind of foundation for her self-confidence. you're amazing 💘💘

[@sanni697]

I think it is very important to acknowledge that beauty brands are profiting off of our insicurities and esseantially just creating them to make it seem like there's always something we have to improve about our looks. It saddens me to see mostly little girls all over socials stressing about "how can they glow up", when in reality there's literally nothing wrong with their appearences and puberty hasn't even reached them yet. So the pressure to wear makeup to fit beauty norms created by patriarchy are still there, but I also feel like and hope that makeup is slowly becoming a more neutral thing used as an art form, occasional enhancement and as it is used by different genders and so breaking gender expression stereotypes. This was a great and thoughtful video, thanks!!!

[@Dachusttin]

As a male whos about to start using makeup, ty a lot for this video. I feel very informed now and able to take better deciditions about it. "Its a tool of oppresion, yes, but it doesnt always have to be: we must support it when its used as a means to express one trueself, and go against everything that makes us believe its mandatory (after all, ads etc will never make you feel good about yourself)"

[@jyunael346]

I love makeup and hate it at the same time. For me, it's art & calming to go creative with it, while not putting makeup on makes me feel insecure about my looks. I would love to live an utopia where everyone can wear makeup no matter if its full beat, subtle or theatrical, but nobody has to.

[@GojiBoiEarth1964]

When she’s needed, she returns

[@Lu._.Soriano]

I loved the video! This is a topic I've thought about a lot, and I felt compelled to share my experience (apologies in advance for the length!). When I was younger, I declared myself against makeup and adopted a "scrappy," somewhat emo style. Looking back, I realize that my choice was driven by a desire for moral superiority; in my childlike understanding, I equated wearing make up with "being superficial", which of course I perceived as bad. As a result, I rejected anything that hinted at caring about my appearance, viewing it as shallow, and I tried to compensate by emphasizing my intellect and other talents. Over time, I became more honest with myself about my true feelings, which were rooted in insecurity and a genuine desire to feel prettier. The truth is, I wanted to feel enough-I yearned for significance and validation from my peers. Since I believed I couldn't achieve that through conventional means, like enhancing my appearance with makeup, I sought out alternative forms of validation, including that sense of moral superiority I mentioned. Eventually, embracing makeup felt like a step forward for me. It represented a newfound authenticity and honesty about my feelings. And sometimes, I genuinely enjoy using makeup as a form of self-expression and art. However, the underlying issue remains: the struggle to feel valued and significant without relying on external markers of beauty (and other markers like for example intellect, talent, success, productivity, etc).

[@paintedd1549]

For me specially, as a male, this open my eyes more about wearing makeup or not wearing makeup. I was never like all women should wear make up all the time, that just unrealistic and tiring. Everyone has the choice to wear it or not. In this case, I think it helped me to realize , if I ever encounter a situation with my partner about this topic, I should showcase, regardless of using makeup or no makeup, I'm still giving her unconditional love. Support her choice on wearing or not wearing. I am more conscious about this topic so to speak.

[@nanomia]

your partner will love your mindset about it!

[@googlegogle9360]

I live in Europe and most of my friends don't wear makeup. From time to time, on special occasion they will wear like mascara, but that's about it. I also have friends who wear more makeup (like me) because they like doing eyeliner, or just experimenting with colors. For me it's just some "me" time at morning and evening when i can just relax, listen to some podcast etc. Makeup should stay authentic for you, not be just another trend. For example not everyone would look good in contour, or having blush really high on their cheeks, or having bunny tongue lips, it's ok to not follow it, if you don't like how it looks. The problem starts when you can't leave the house or let anyone see you without it. I generally was given makeup only when i was 14-15, which helped with getting used to how you are changing during teen years. Problem with "sephora kids" is that they often do not need these products and use them more often than it's recommended to ADULTS.

[@lakoshi9345]

"The paradox of make-up". So I personally have conversed with quite a lot of males to see what their input is on the subject of "make-up" and their response was "I don't like girls with make-up. I just prefer my girls 'natural'. Make-up simply means you're ashamed of your natural self". Btw these are the very same males who ask girlies with make-up out. My follow up questions were: you exercise, does that mean you're ashamed of your natural body? And to the girlies that you consider 'non-attractive', should they not date because of how they naturally look? Do they not deserve love because of their genes? How is it their fault? My point was make-up is more than make-up. Girls use it to feel empowered and get compliments and sometimes it's a confidence booster to girls who might feel insecure❤. So people should stop hating on why women wear make-up and start to think about why girls wear make-up holistically.

[@blackomega34]

You seem to be taking a huge range of guy behaviors and assigning them to one single guy. Of course it sounds contradictory. Fortunately, this is an indication that things are changing and the cultural power of makeup is on its way out, we just need to be vocal that it's time to put these shitty cultural institutions to rest.

[@lakoshi9345]

@@blackomega34 I understand your point, and I apologize if my previous comment seemed to generalize or stereotype individuals. However, I'd like to clarify that my intention was to highlight a common narrative I've encountered in conversations with multiple men. While it's true that not all men hold these views, the fact that I've heard similar sentiments from various individuals suggests a broader cultural pattern. Regarding the cultural power of makeup, I agree that it's essential to challenge and evolve our societal beauty standards. Nevertheless, I believe it's crucial to approach this conversation with nuance and understanding. Makeup can be a tool for self-expression, empowerment, and confidence-building, particularly for women who have been marginalized or excluded from traditional beauty norms. Rather than dismissing makeup as a 'shitty cultural institution,' perhaps we can work towards a more inclusive and accepting environment where individuals can choose to wear makeup or not, without fear of judgment or repercussions. Let's focus on promoting self-acceptance, diversity, and individuality, rather than perpetuating a new form of beauty policing

[@fra604]

Is there a deeper reason why you use "males"? I noticed you use "girls", "women", and so on, but just "males" for men

[@lakoshi9345]

@@fra604I specifically used males because those were the people I conversed with

[@nanomia]

men know shit about makeup what they most mean is they don't like the over the top makeup I think not just men but a lot of people don't like that look but whatever sometimes I feel like I want to do a glam look sometime natural men should get over themselves and accept that women will love the things they love it's not always just for the men. I lived in a dorm with only girls for 6 years a lot of girl love to wear makeup and put on good clothes there was no guy around it was just girls we love to be beautiful to our own eyes and to others doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman

[@opossumboyo]

I’ve got other problems with the cosmetic industry as an environmentalist, outside of the social ones. Plastic waste from fashion and beauty projects are a massive contributor to global pollution numbers and many of these products are almost entirely unnecessary. You’re never going to get the industry to just stop producing, however; it would take a mass-movement against cosmetics to actually incur some kind of change, and that would incur an almost immediate dilemma where women who did not care about the environmental costs would suddenly have a distinct advantage in the dating pool.

[@jocelynrodriguezramirez9503]

To be completely honest I’m one of those people who ALWAYS has some type of makeup on. I haven’t seen much comments coming from people who wear a full face of makeup so I wanted to share my thoughts. I’m still in high school and I recently have gotten into a relationship and I thought the thirst to be perceived as beautiful (by waking up at 5:30 everyday to put on makeup) was over, but unfortunately it still continues. I wake up earlier to try and please my boyfriend. It stems from a multitude of things like the amount of real life stories where his own friends will call his girlfriends (now ex girlfriends) unattractive. Which I think is disgusting, comments like these put me and other women in more fear, I didn’t want to be deemed as unattractive especially in a culture that takes apart everything about a person and hyper-analysis each part determining if it’s something worth praise or shunning. I would also like to point out that we are being filmed more than ever now it definitely creates an environment where you too become hyper aware of yourself. It’s a reason I chose not to have social media, mostly because I don’t believe I’m ready to be thrown into a world that won’t stop making comments on my appearance whether good or bad. Or how social media shows an altered version of reality with people claiming to be all natural yet getting work or procedures done, but then again these people were also once victims of Beauty standards around them and felt the need to hide the fact that they weren’t in fact born that way in order to dodge hateful comments. It’s something I sense I will eventually have to get over probably by exposure therapy (aka putting myself on camera) but I understand why most women wear makeup even if it’s to “hide” an insecurity of theirs, it’s not exactly easy to live in a society that expects nothing less of you than perfection. You can have a single picture of you on socials and in a matter of minutes strangers can determine every “flaw” you have and it can feel like if you don’t conform you fall behind (in terms of social currency). I also do recognize that makeup is a wonderful outlet for self expression and I myself am an artist and do love wearing certain makeup styles even though I know others wouldn’t find it as charming as I do. P.s. my boyfriend has seen me without makeup but only twice before on FaceTime and although he still thinks I look pretty I can’t seem to shrug off the thought of “oh what if he’s just saying that because he doesn’t want to be rude”. He knows I’m an insecure individual and the majority of the times I use makeup is to hide what I’m insecure about which only became insecurities of mine due to other people making comments on how I looked when I was young combined with me knowing I looked different from the people around me (I’m Hispanic and most of my childhood friends were white with opposite features than me) if anyone is reading this I just hope you know you truly are beautiful with or without makeup and although it can be a rough journey to feel more confident in yourself I just want you to know you’re not alone in this and others may have similar experiences to you. Be kind, words stick with people so much and whether you choose to embrace your natural self or feel more confident when your cheeks are flushed you deserve love and a place in this world ❤

[@wweep]

This video came out in an interesting time of my life. As of late ive plunged into researching about seasonal colour pallets, how to do makeup for your face shape, how to dress for your body, etc. Your video made me reflect and ask myself what was the point of all this research. Well, i believe that if you choose to “elevate” your outfits or makeup, start with knowing yourself physically. Its been an amazing time researching this subject because I see that there is nothing wrong with me, i dont have to bend to societal expectations, i just have to wear whats right for my face and body! We are constantly bombarded with advertisements about how we should look, not what will elevate our natural beauty. Knowing what looks good stops you from over spending and wasting money, or feeling disappointed that you dont look like someone else entirely. Ive also come to appreciate other body types, skin tones and facial variations. We are all unique and i love having the tools to observe people’s individual traits

[@uhmilia287]

Makeup is only “empowering” to me because it makes me feel less ugly, which is a concept that is inherently oppressive against women

[@Leelee-ey5wq]

Please keep posting , you inspire me and give me a new perspective everytime I also feel like I have a friend that’s dropping mad knowledge on me and I always wished I had convos like this so thank you for fulfilling my day and being who you are ! ❤

[@jimjam2065]

i am a 16yo girl, and lately ive been thinking about starting to wear more makeup, because of an outside pressure to be pretty. i feel ugly or "lazy" without it, especially if i compare myself to my peers. but whenever i want to go buy it, feel frozen in place. i think its unjust that women are expected to spend time "getting ready" to simply leave the house and be perceived. i think that i shouldnt have to wear makeup to feel "good enough", but then i do feel like im not good, not pretty enough without it. i feel helpless, i dont know what to do in this situation. i wish that makeup would stop being something people expect from women, and i feel if i do wear it, im contradicting my "fight against the opression". this video helped me to realize im not insane for thinking that way, but i still have no idea what to do regarding makeup. i guess the struggle is unavoidable in such a system of oppression. great video, i learned so much!!!!

[@shaky_beef]

i had Dr. Hirji as my philosophy professor a few years ago and it's so cool knowing that you interviewed her for this video - it makes me now wish i had taken her classes on feminism back then. anyway, this was a great video Olivia, i think you handled the nuances and history really well. i feel much better knowing that the choices we make in whether we resist or conform to these standards all feel like shit in some way because there is no perfect choice in an oppressive system - such is the nature of the oppressive system!

[@smirbelbirbel]

I was CONVICED I did make-up for myself. Until I went to a 10 day meditation retreat where makeup, jewellery and non-modest clothes weren't allowed and I was around bare-faced women all day. All of a sudden, I realised how I felt absolutely fine without it and that I found everyone else just as beautiful, if not more so, without it. I realised that putting on and taking off mascara every single day was never for me, I just told myself it was. So I stopped. Nothing happened. I only use eye make-up on special occasions like weddings now. It is so freeing to go bare-faced everyday and I'm still getting plenty of compliments (most of which are unwanted but alas).

[@coolchameleon21]

i’m so glad you’re talking about this! i thought it was weird how angry people got at that woman on the podcast. she had a valid point

[@anymoor6268]

I'm 18 and I started to use makeup since my birthday. But to be honest, I don't like foundation or concealer or powder on my face, it feels bad on my skin. However I really like eye makeup, and I do it to enhance my eye shape and color. It's fun to try new colours and learn every day. Sometimes I do it shiny, sometimes it's bold or light. To me it's fun, and creative, and I'm really grateful for that. However, it's just me. And my friends do full face makeup every day to look fabulous, and cover what they don't like. It depends on the person.

[@mayonnaise_hovercraft]

I really loved this video. Reading some of these comments made me consider deleting my google account, but I enjoyed watching and listening and learning. Just after watching this, I talked to my mom, who grew up in the conservative west for her entire childhood, and learned a lot about her development. Makeup is ingrained so heavily, especially on women that grew up in conservative areas/houses. This video opened up a conservation, so thank you for making this! I gained a lot of knowledge about both women's history, and my mom.

[@ChilledOutTunes]

BABE WAKE UP OLIVIA JUST POSTED🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ also love the premise of the video cant wait to watch!!

[@alya9205]

I believe that when your mere existence is an act of resistance, thriving in any way you can and uplifting your community is the best path to fight the system constructed to oppress. You are nit morally obligated to sacrifice anything else, and nobody has the right to judge. Don't know the answer to how to fix the broken world, but I think we can make each others lives better by supporting and accepting women unconditionally, make up or no make up. (and everything else)

[@allyalysia]

i live in a small rural town in switzerland and wearing makeup is mostly frowned upon. in 7th grade (13-14 y/o) everyone thought it was gross and weird. i had this one friend, the self proclaimed popular girl, who made fun of those in the other school who wore makeup but then in 8th grade she was the first to wear mascara in our class and when others finally felt comfortable to wear it to school she said “as soon as i did it everyone followed and copied me” she still frowns upon full face makeup tho

[@fssstyuniaf]

I love your videos so much. Quoting research papers, doing little interviews with professors working in the relevant field. So sick of all the garbage, low effort content on youtube. It's nice to watch someone who puts this amount of work in!

[@FabianEllis]

'No Makeup Today' by Kendrick Lamar is great. As a British man, yeah it's pretty much the same here but I did have a really good friend in high school, she always wore no makeup and looked amazing.

[@graceomalley5572]

I watched this while cleaning my makeup, and wearing none. very therapeutic 10/10, love the note about wanting to freeze urself as a perfect image

[@Rosaline_FC]

Love your uploads. Don't exactly have much to add, but it's pretty damn good.

[@giacantstoptalking7335]

As a black woman I have always wanted to wear makeup since I was little, but not from a place of feeling ugly. I was always told I was beautiful growing up and the women in my life never wore makeup in a negative way or made it feel needed, they used it as something to add at the end and I feel my relationship with makeup has always been positive with it stemming from a place of wanting to see how amazing I could look. I’ve never understood the reason some feel the need to wear makeup rather than to convey a certain look, but every day I have to serve a dif look weather that be bear face or full beat

[@r.s.6357]

As a woman who does not wear makeup or shaves any part of my body I want to tell all women: it gets so much easier to stop if you just start and becomes much more difficult every time you do it. Everytime you put on makeup you reinforce the idea that you have to wear makeup, you spend a long time staring at you face and all your so called flaws and you put more pressure on EVERY OTHER WOMAN to put on makeup. WE CANNOT END THIS BEAUTY CULTURE IF WE KEEP PARTICIPATING Once you start it gets easy: Everytime you do not put on makeup you get more used to your natural face. Try to go without makeup for a Day and try to focus on all the good things: the time (and longterm money) you safe, you dont have to worry about smudging it if you touch your face, you dont have to worry about sweating, and you dont have to spend so much time just staring at yourself in the mirror. It is hard in the begining, I know! BUT it gets so much easier, and it is so so nice to never have to worry about it again

[@loveinstars]

what about artistic and unconventional makeup? does this fall under that? /genq

[@autisticdancer]

I think it’s also important to note that there are other reasons outside of rejecting conformity to heteronormative beauty standards for why women and femme presenting people might choose not to wear makeup. For example, my biggest reason for why I rarely if ever wear makeup is because I have sensory issues on my face (particularly around my eyes) that make makeup feel like actual mud on my face that I feel like I can *never get off.* Basically what I’m trying to say is that there are a number of reasons for why someone might choose not to wear makeup, and I believe it is important to not make assumptions about the reasons, especially if you don’t know the person.

[@Leafygreenie]

I stopped wearing makeup a few years ago as an act of rebellion to the beauty standards.. doing so I’ve become so comfortable with my natural looks and haven’t worn any since.

[@CaritoCarrion]

I have worn makeup since I was 13. I might say that in my early youth most of the time I didn't have a problematic relationship with it, I mean it mostly in the sense of attaching my self-value with it ( I think partially because i didn't have any major skin issues, or i wasn't sorrounded with people that had the disposable income to throw tons of money in beauty products). However ofc I have always wondered how much of this practice comes from the fact that culturally, in the modern era, the act of feminity is at least partially attach to taking care of our superficial appearance, even if as teens , probably non of us know exactly how to correctly use these products. It Almost takes the espace of any other hobby ... Due to the community formed around practicing this activity, and the public performance of wearing it. As I reached adulthood, It started bothering more, but specifically for the external push for it; because i felt more directly impacted by the unconscious judgment of men and women in the work sphere. The thing that gave me headaches the most was this idea of not looking professional enough. Like it is ok that you are smart in your industry, but gosh if your likeability and looks accompany that is like a lottery win. That bother me also because i knew that made women felt pushed or even guilty for not having the disposable income, time and why not? some interest in it (the art of makeup you could call it). Actually in my case i have always loved art and painting, that is way most of the time in highschool i really used my shadow pallets to paint over paper , I drew tons of eyes shapes and started painting on them. In fact the subject that i paint the most in acrylic is women faces so ofc i do enjoy making looks on them. It is soooo peaceful and creative to engage in this activities. But at the end i always wonder if this interest is more joyful and sincere if just performed in private, because if i do choose to always use make up to make me look "professional enough" ( i know it sounds problematic from the start) It cannot be enjoyable or a way to express my freedom/style, etc. Lots of rambling, but always thanks for the food for thought 🍀

[@rood4170]

lost ur channel for a few months and BOY AM I GLAD I FOUND THIS ONE :)

[@greentea2638]

OMGG she posteddd❤❤❤

[@tracer4322]

I really enjoyed your video because it delved into the history and nuances of makeup in different communities. I've always struggled with the question of makeup's place in women's liberation or oppression. As a kid who was gender non-conforming, I was bullied for looking too masculine and not wearing makeup which impacted my self-esteem. I still don't wear makeup today as an adult because I'm scared to develop an unhealthy relationship with it where I feel that obligation to wear it any time I leave the house.

[@DrAnarchy69]

I’m trans femme with thick natural facial hair (less so now I’m taking laser hair removal). Makeup has been so vital in allowing me to present the way I want to. Mascara especially really helps accentuate my gorgeous lashes. Make up is transformative for me and so central in my gender euphoria!

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

facial hair fucking SUCKS

[@silverandexact]

I used to wear a full face of makeup almost every day. Spending so much time looking at my face made me hyper-aware of the "flaws" I had and I bought so many products trying to fix them. I did a cold turkey break from makeup and I felt so bad at first but now I'm so much happier. I hope that seeing me will help other femmes feel like it's okay to go out into the world bare-faced.

[@silverandexact]

I still wear "natural" makeup occasionally-BB cream, blush, mascara, and neutral lip tint-but now makeup feels like 'me but with some features highlighted' instead of makeup being my normal and my natural face seeming ugly. I think contouring my cheeks and nose into something I liked more was the most harmful thing to my self-esteem because my face started to feel distorted and ugly without it. Making your face look fairly different can be fun but maybe not the best move for every day.

[@serenityssolace]

We men need to encourage women to love themselves without make up and for that to happen we have to love them without make up. At the same time we have to celebrate make up and appreciate it without over glorifying it

[@fantuswitt9063]

So as always we have to be the knights in shining amour but this time we don’t even get a price?

[@fantuswitt9063]

⁠@feox_25Nope as always nothing but Strawman. It’s funny that you use the word empathy when beings like you use phrases like „Oh poor man it must feel so bad to not be oppressed“ when man literally talk about psyschological horror stories done to them often by woman. But we the evil man have to take responsibility about how YOU feel when you wear make up? Sorry but I don’t give a shit. Also to clarify I don’t want sex with man hating narcissists like you who never take responsibility for problems you created.

[@rajiseepy]

then women should encourage men to love themselves without keeping their height in consideration right?

[@serenityssolace]

@@rajiseepy yes

[@silly-mini-kitty]

Men should just stop shitting on womens appearance, thats enough

[@jewel3032]

great video!!! i started wearing foundation and concealer in my teens when my acne became persistent and i realized i could cover it up. i couldn’t leave the house without full foundation and concealer until a few years ago when i finally found a treatment for my acne. now i barely wear foundation, but if i still had a lot of acne, i’m sure i still would feel the need to. there is a LOT to unpack regarding the stigma around acne and how having naturally nice skin is tied to what is perceived as beautiful or even just presentable, with or without makeup. it’s a true mind fuck when you feel like you’ll be perceived as ugly if you don’t wear makeup, and yet you feel like a fraud while wearing makeup.

[@EH012]

Here in India, having a bare face is still quite normal. That changed starting in the 90s when our economy opened up, post-independence from colonial rule. And with the internet, it's become very common for women to wear makeup - but a full face of foundation, etc. is often still judged unless it's "for work". Makeup, for better and worse, was and is a sign of Westernisation and modernity (moral decay, deceitful or impure, attention-seeking women, etc. but also being educated and wordly, having travelled or studied abroad, being of a higher social class and able to acquire products and skills). Now it's something most women do "for office", like part of a uniform. Wearing lipstick with an otherwise bare face is very common, and does signify having attained a certain "class"... but you'll find women who signal virtue by proclaiming they never wear it or "put chemicals on their face" (the idea of natural beauty is alive and well here). And women who bemoan that they don't know how to apply it and wish they did. There's also makeup that convention approves of and the type that is expressive. It's no coincidence that the two rarely overlap. Often young women are discouraged from wearing it before they're married, but the wedding makeup is key! And "looking good" for one's husband after, as well... all done and said, I'm glad it's still very normal to have a bare face. Loved this video! Subscribed!

[@yessir68]

As a woman who was deeply insecure throughout my middle school and high school years, I’m so thankful that my skin was too sensitive to wear makeup because I never would’ve had the chance to be forced into developing confidence for my natural face. Even now as an adult, I’m more confident than before but I know when I wear makeup (which I do minimally for occasions) I become too satisfied with my makeup face and lose confidence in my natural face at the end of the day when I take it off. That’s why I still don’t wear makeup even though I can now. This video has finally shed light to why I feel the need to avoid it so thank you for another very informative video🫶

[@quakquak6141]

This reminds me of something I often bump into when talking to others, the fact that we all think we are making informed decisions about our own lives, we do things cause we like them and so on, but surprisingly enough in many aspects we all do the same things, make up is the perfect example, almost every woman regularly uses it, almost every man never uses it, if it was really such a free choice this would not happen, most of us are clearly coherced into acting certain ways by society, and this irks me so so much. The thing that irritates me but is also understandable is that people are very defensive about it all "no it's my choice, I'm doing this for myself cause I wanna do it" sure ok, but it's a bit too much of a coincidence then that you want the same exact thing as everyone else (even weirder if it's the same thing as people from just one demographic).

[@coolchameleon21]

real

[@ellealine4159]

100 % and this conversation becomes even more heated if it's about body hair. As someone who removes body hair i am fully aware that I don't do this because i genuinely like it that way, i do it because I've been conditioned into believing I'm ugly and not feminine with body hair.

[@quakquak6141]

@@ellealine4159 I see, I'm glad you have reached an understanding behind it, I'm not saying this cause I want you to do it, just that you reminded me of one possibility I didn't mention and I'm curious about, I wonder, taking hairs as an example, what would happen if a group of friends decided to test not shaving and going to the pool/beach toghether, like being the only one to do it might be terrifying, but toghtther it might work, and maybe after a few times it can become more normal. (I never really had to do something like this, there are a few things I reconditioned myself about when I was a kid cause I couldn't go on like that anymore and yeah, you need to get accustomed to the new way of doing things, you need to try multiple times)

[@spacecat942]

But hey, maybe it's because some of them honestly want to appeal to others (more often than not men) and, since most men like the look of women with some makeup on, they just end up doing that. In that case it ends up being an honest, personal need that can be fullfilled using the tools available that are "known" to work imo. You want to get smarter -> you do what other people deem smart [read books etc] You want to feel attractive [for other people] -> you do what other people deem attractive. And just like the idea of a smart person from the medieval differs from the one that we have today the same goes for the idea of beauty that is constantly changing

[@loveinstars]

how dan you tell if it’s genuinely for you though? and how can you assume that when people say that they’re not being honest? for me i really love to do my makeup is especially unconventional ways. i know other people probably don’t understand it or like it, but i do not care 😭 ofc there’s been instances where i relied on makeup because i usually put it on daily, and when i get to that point i stop wearing makeup daily to get used to my face again.

[@rakkatytam]

Man, it's shit like this that has me never paying for streaming services. There's just an endless amount of great content on youtube that is free and full of genuine passion

[@carlosbarahona1171]

I always want to tell everyone that natural beauty is the best type of beauty, but it’s easier said than done.

[@killerqueen-iv1ss]

i always want to tell everyone than being beautiful shouldn't be that important

[@AngelCaroline9]

natural beauty is overrated and begs the question of beauty's inherent value in the first place. why praise something that you were born with and had no say in? imo, our obsession with beauty, including natural, IS the root of the oppression.

[@Macheako]

@@AngelCaroline9 really? Just born with EVERYTHING? Last I checked staying healthy and in shape IS NOT something you’re just born with. You gotta take care yourself week in and week out.

[@leenaadams6742]

not everyone is naturally beautiful in the eyes of society…

[@AngelCaroline9]

@@Macheako maintenance, as your frame it, implies some level of working substance or a blueprint, which you must've been born with. regardless, i think perception matters. for instance, i doubt the average person thinks about what you do to maintain your beauty when they first see you. they take the effort of maintenance as granted or given, which is why people often fail to notice subtle enhancements or "unnatural-ness" (if they would even consider it such in the first place). it's literal judgement at face value. obvs, the question of what to consider natural is at play here. it depends on the individual but most people draw the line at surgery, so I doubt working out would discredit what you were given in the eyes of society.

[@RiJaChronicles]

All the comments under this video are so insightful! It's a joy :)

[@fifi5637]

I am one of those people who doesn’t wear makeup much at all.. I’m 17 and I hardly ever go to school with it on. However I do feel kind of an alienation without it because a lot of girls I know will talk about their experiences with it, or give very specific complements about stuff that I wouldn’t know. And I can’t lie that I do feel behind everyone else when it comes to looks.. the only thing stopping me from wearing it to school is that I can’t stand getting up early enough to put it on, and I don’t have a lot of money to buy products with.

[@r.s.6357]

I am very happy for you Keep it up! I know it is hard, I know you feel like the odd one out but I promise you it will pass. Remeber all the positive aspects of not wearing makeup, the time and money you safe, not worrying about anythig smudging. Also: you are used to your own face, you will never feel like you NEED to spend 40 mins getting ready to just leave the house It will get easier, you will find your people and you will stop caring about wether or not someone with makeup "looks better. Being 17 is difficult but I promise you as you get older it will get better and easier and you will never regret not wearing makeup❤

[@fifi5637]

@@r.s.6357 thank you! 💞 I am happy that I’m used to my bare face and I hadn’t even thought of that as an up side until I watched this video and when u commented!

[@aminazebra]

I just discovered your channel from a comment on another video, and I absolutely love the thought and research you devoted to this topic. It was very insightful, thank you!

[@igwynox]

i’m 15 and i don’t where makeup because 1. um kinda autistic and it makes me uncomfortable 2. what’s gonna happen if i decide to not wear it one day? i’ll feel ugly. 3. i want people to like me as my natural self. 4. nobody rlly cares. i haven’t got more than like 4 or 5 people questioning why i don’t wear it. it was fine because ik those people were upset because i didn’t feel insecure without it like they did. 5. it is too time consuming