No Make-up Movement

A lot of people made a big fuss about Alicia Keys beginning her "no make-up" movement. A lot of people begin to bash her and other people for showing their flaws, as if their faces are flawless. Some people said that there are women who "need" make-up on their face to fix what God couldn't fix. Wow! That is absolutely heartless. I have a virgin face at the age of 35 years old. I've never experimented with make-up, no blush, contouring, foundation, powder, nothing.

It all has to do with my upbringing. Ever seen I was a child, my mother would always tell me that I don't need make-up on my face. She also emphasized about how beautiful my complexion was. And she wasn't the only person. It also helped that I went to an all girl high school, so I didn't have to be concerned about make-up but at the same time I was never into the whole "make-up" your face.

Getting older I had people (adults), friends, and family who wanted to try to convince me to start wearing make-up because I was getting older and I need to uplift my look instead of looking bland and still young. So, I cut my hair and put highlights in it. A new hair do with highlights can also brighten your complexion without the need of make-up.

But still it wasn't good enough. A friend of mine who wears make-up mentions to me about getting my face done one weekend. Just the thought of covering my face with the powder or creamy texture makes me cringe. I was told that make-up enhances your beauty but why hide your natural beauty. But I've never understood why I get hounded about not wearing make-up at the age of 35. I'm completely happy with my untouched face. Sure, once in a while I'll put on a little mascara when I go out on a date with my boyfriend and wear different shades of Cover Girl's Lip Lava Lip Gloss but that's how far I'll go.

I've seen the same people who always has something to say about my no make-up face who wear make-up and have horrible acne, dark spots, black lines and circles around their eyes and look older than they really are. If that's what happens to your face when you wear caked- up make-up, I'm just content with my simple mascara and lip gloss.



There are many other women like myself who doesn't wear make-up. So many of us have always been apart of the "no make-up" revolution, natural beauty Alicia Keys has brought to the forefront. It truly makes me feel good to see a celebrity that can show how real and raw they are by not hiding under a painted face.

A few close men in my life hate when women wear make-up. They say that they can't kiss or embrace them the way they want because the women doesn't want her make-up to smudge or smear. And the men doesn't want to get all that make-up on their clothes. One married man told me that he can't keep count of the number of pillowcases that was messed up because of make-up stains, or in the summer time to see women who wear make-up have it run down their faces because of their sweat from the heat. They feel as if they are hiding their identity. Some women put so much make-up on, it makes them look like a completely different person. No wonder some men are surprised after seeing their women natural face.

One man said and I quote, "It's a cover up. Once they take the make-up off they are a total different person, they're trying to cover up their flaws, things you never seen on them are there before when they take off the make-up. Listen to the word MAKE-UP. That's not fair to a man AT ALL! Don't trick a man into liking you by faking your appearance. That just tell us a lot about you to start off with. Think about it, the more make-up you wear or the constant times you may wear it, the more your face will break out. You ever heard that when you lie you have to cover that lie with another then another and another. That's just like make-up. The more you use it the more you continue to use it to cover up."



I feel as though women should be happy with themselves with or without make-up. By no means, if wearing make-up makes you happy and gives you the self- esteem you need, that's fine but don't bash those who don't want to hide behind the make-up and prefer to embrace their natural beauty.