In a previous post, I talked about whether the beauty industry and the professionals that work within it were taken seriously enough. In this post, I would like to continue on that theme and talk about whether makeup should actually be considered an art form.
Art elitists would probably say 'no it isn't', but I beg to differ. Some consider makeup as a 'cover up' - a way to fake beauty and to dupe the outside world into thinking that you are more attractive than you actually are.
I totally disagree with this point of view. Yes, makeup can be dramatic and over the top. You can take it further and make yourself literally look like a different person. But it can also be subtle, delicate and a way to enhance your own natural beauty. A way to accentuate and bring out your best facial features. The scale of what can be achieved by applying makeup, the scope for creating different looks and the way you can express yourself with how you look are to me, why it should be considered an art form.
An un-madeup face is like a blank canvas. As if painting a picture, you prepare the surface you are about to work on - your skin. Then like creating any other piece of art, you can play with colour and techniques. You can coordinate your makeup with your hair and clothes. Just because the medium we are working with is our own face, it doesn't mean that we cannot create something artistic and beautiful.
I think we are beginning to see a change as to how makeup is perceived as an art form. For years, fashion design has been considered an art and we are now seeing the makeup on models at fashion shows being given almost as much attention as the clothes themselves. Like a creator of 'fine art', a makeup artist makes skillful use of colour, shadow and light. Anyone who has tried their hand at contouring and highlighting will tell you, it's not an easy skill to get right!
Many of the characters that we see in films - Voldemort, The Joker, Mystique... Their looks are all a result of special effects makeup artists. So why do some people judge women that wear makeup? Why are they seen as attention seeking (particularly from men) or shallow as they cover up their face with makeup? I am comfortable with or without makeup. Some days I wear very little or none at all and then other days, I will go all out and wear a full face of cosmetics. It just depends on how much time I have, what I am wearing, where I am going or how I am feeling. It doesn't mean I am shallow, it just means I enjoy having fun with the way I look and enjoy looking different sometimes.
So the next time someone tells you you're wearing too much makeup, tell them - 'it's not makeup, it's art'.
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