Makup Shaming On the Internet! 

Slut shaming... fit shaming... fat shaming... skinny shaming... fake people shaming... salad shaming... snack shaming... fandom shaming... and now makeup shaming.

A new day. A new shame. It seems like a day doesn't go by without people being shamed for one mundane reason or another. For the moment though, the spotlight is on makeup shaming.

The passive aggressive stance of the denizens of the Internet against makeup wearers have been unrelenting, with countless memes and blogs dedicated to shaming wearers popping up in every nook and cranny. The allegations are countless - makeup wearers have been branded vain, insecure and fake. Some insinuate that people who are naturally "beautiful" don't wear makeup - only "ugly" people layer on makeup in order to enhance their beauty. Others assume women wear makeup to please the men folk, and hide behind a thick layer of unnecessary products.

It didn't take long for self professed feminists to latch on to the anti-makeup bandwagon. Their claims were even more ludicrous. Promptly dismissing the underlying motive of feminism that calls for equality, these women are vocal in their outrage that makeup is the regression of women's liberation, because in essence, it's the objectification of women. They further argue that women who wear makeup are succumbing to a patriarchal agenda and end up being valued for beauty and not brains.

This led YouTube makeup sensation Nikkie Tutorials to post a video debunking the myth that women don't wear makeup because they are "ugly" but because it empowers them and it's fun. Following the video, countless women have been posting pictures of themselves with a half made up face accompanied by the hashtag #The Power Of Makeup, intending to highlight how transformative makeup can be, and how there's no shame in wearing it.

Emboldened by anonymity, Internet trolls have been incessantly doling out demeaning labels to women. Nevertheless "beauty" is a loaded term, and the reality is that the "standard" for beauty doesn't transcend time. No one fits into their times society imposed idea/conception of beauty, perfectly. Makeup, is many things. It's fine art. An outlet for self expression.. And it’s fun. If women love wearing it - then by all means let them. And if they don’t? It’s their prerogative not to. Ultimately, it's  a woman's right to wear or not wear makeup, devoid of judgment and hate.

---

Amana Mowlana

People often pass judgment for no valid reason. Most commonly, it is to fit in with a group by making a remark or agreeing to comments made by friends, colleagues or co-workers, so it appears you have common thoughts. For many, being accepted or liked takes precedence over independent thoughts and feelings, living perpetually in a world that revolves around what people think or say. I don’t apply makeup often, but that’s not because I don’t like to, but because I am not very good at it. If the human race had not evolved over time with personal upkeep, hygiene and fashion, we would all look no different to cavemen. The choice to wear makeup is personal just like anything else that we do to best represent ourselves. In my opinion, we are all born beautiful. So makeup or no makeup, we must not allow anyone to dictate how we choose to present ourselves, because life is much too short to waste time on the opinions of others.

Karen Bope (blogger at www.crazylove4clothes.com)

I think makeup is made to enhance your features. There is no right or wrong amount and women should not be ashamed of wearing makeup. It's a form of expression and a form of artistry. I support any women that are comfortable in their own skin, makeup or no makeup.

Oliver Medonza

Well my personal preference when it comes to women is when they do not wear make up. But that's because I'm a simple kind of man. However, wearing makeup is a personal choice. No one has the right to tell a person male or female that he or she can't wear make up. It's just plain unethical. It's like saying you can't wear clothes. Makeup is used for various reasons. For example some people wear it to hide some sort of defect. And if that person walked around town with that defect, then people would all be like 'please wear makeup to hide it'. People are just weird. It's anyone's fundamental right to do what they want with their body.

Rasha Shuhaib

Well I personally don't like it when women have loads of makeup heaped on. I prefer natural beauty like any other man. Makeup hides the real beauty of a woman and it's just an image that we get to see of her, when she wears makeup all the time. But I also believe everyone should look nice, dress well, and have a nice personality. Women shouldn't be insulted regardless. Men admire women who look after themselves.

Deeandra Bulner

I think we come from almost sort of a global culture that teaches girls shame and guilt. We tell them to cover up, sit with their legs closed etc., and make them feel like they’re guilty of silly things like this. Then they grow up and become women who don’t have opinions or pretend they don’t. Added to all of this the media sends all sorts of distorted messages of what “real beauty” should look like, and make young girls believe that beauty is defined by the approval of men and whichever gender one is attracted to. I think that’s where all this makeup shaming comes from, it’s just another ‘what-not-to-do’ on the list from this time period, and as more time goes by I’m sure there’ll be more totally irrelevant, totally unimportant things that will get added on. Personally I love makeup and wear it to suit my mood, if I feel lousy then I won’t put any on and if I feel good then I slap on some makeup. Its just something that makes you feel good. It’s just a feature enhance, it contributes to how you want to look and how you want to dress. Sometimes people use clothes and style and makeup to express themselves and I think makeup is just one of those things. It’s almost similar to wearing deodorant or using shampoo, you do it so you smell good for a long time and when you smell good, you feel good. I don’t think that it's used by people who are insecure or feel ugly, and in the instance that it is, so what? I think it's great that there are tools to make someone who is insecure feel confident and good about themselves. As women I don’t think we should be shaming each other over petty things like this, we should be empowering each other and focusing on celebrating each other.

By Rihaab Mowlana