make up is misogynistic oppression

[sixtyandsomething]

I hate make up, because of the devastating damage it does to the lives of women and girls

Obviously I don't wear any, so it doesn't damage my life.

But I am a teacher, and see its devastating impact on the lives of literally thousands of girls

It is ridiculous to think it makes women look "beautiful". Women without make up are beautiful. Women with make up look like they have a load of chemical crap smeared on their face to cover up their natural features. Which is what they do.

Thinking this looks "better" than a face without make up is just misogynistic programming and conditioning.

Girls are literally taught and programmed and schooled and conditioned to believe they can't go out without their faces covered. I speak to girls who tell me they will kill themselves if they have to take it off. They are surrounded by media images of women smeared in the crap, and are conditioned to think this is what a normal female face looks like.

It is expensive, time consuming and bad for your skin, but worst of all it is oppressive.

Just look at this picture and compare the natural look of the men, who just have the minimum make up required for the lighting, and the massively overexaggerated, false, completely covered up look of the women, who apparently need to cover their lips with an unnatural colour, paint extra circles around their eyes, change their eyelashes and eyebrows, and cake all the skin on their face in gunk in order to be fit to be seen.

And if you look at this picture and think "what is she on about - those women just look normal" then PLEASE stop for a moment and ask yourself WHY you think gunk-smeared to the point that no natural skin can be seen is "normal" for a woman!

I am not expecting much agreement, as I think so many women are so tightly in the grip of the (mostly male run) cosmetics industry, that they can't even see how brainwashed they are

But please think twice before passing this oppression on to your daughters.

Wouldn't it be amazing if the next generation of female BBC news readers grow up in a society where they feel free to show their actual natural faces in public.

It's not just makeup, beauty standards are getting progressively more ridiculous. Also so many girls slap on so much makeup to look good in selfies, but it's like stage makeup - fine on stage, looks absurd in real life.

It Is possible to be a feminist who smashes the patriarchy whilst wearing make-up and heels.

We had a teacher at my school who would always make a point of shaming the girls who wore makeup, which in those days consisted of a bit of eyeliner and light mascara. She would call us ‘ugly’ which was nice. Horrible woman, wuite nasty. Don’t think she liked young girls.

https://www.brut.media/us/international/makeup-behind-closed-curtains-inside-an-afghan-beauty-salon-5667da4b-0a24-4a6a-89d4-ba33e3c4b7f5

Cover your face. Get your tits out on page 3. Two sides of the same patriarchal coin, somebody somewhere will judge you as a woman whatever we do, can’t we just live?

Bobbotgegrinch - "There's nothing wrong with either sex wanting to wear makeup. But it should be optional, just like wearing a hat or sunglasses. As long as women feel pressured to wear it, feel wrong without it, feel forced to spend money on it, then its patriarchal bullshit."

"That is what we should be aiming for. Once all women (and men) feel like its an option, then it's not an issue any more."

I know you're a bloke, Bob, but do you seriously not realise that wearing make-up is entirely optional?

It always has been optional and almost certainly always will be, because most men don't give a shit about make-up and women are free to wear it or not.

I have literally never known a woman wear make-up against her will.

If your partner and her sister want to wear make-up when they go out, that is entirely up to them. The fact that you think you have any say in the matter is the real "patriarchal bullshit".

I've stopped. I've thought

I don't agree with you

Isn't it just. I work with a bunch of women who devote pretty much their whole lives to fighting women's oppression and supporting those who suffer from it the most. All but one wear make up. They could come to work dressed as beauty shop Barbie and they'd still be doing more for 'the cause' than many who sit around judging other women's appearance.

It’s really not that deep. If people want to wear make up, they can wear make up. If they don’t, they don’t. I don’t wear it, simply because I cannot be arsed.

bad for your skin

A lot (most?) makeup has spf in it so protects skin?

I actually agree with OP but only to some extent
I think wearing make up can be fun and self expressive, just like clothes
However it is very sad when people are expected to wear make up or feel they are too ugly not to.

Natural make up is particularly bad as it is designed to fool people that they are not wearing make up and this should be how you are meant to look. That no-one ever gets dry patches or plukes.

However it is big business so will continue to be encouraged.

Opened and used makeup is full of bacteria.

Nah, I don’t agree at all. I view my makeup in the ‘warpaint’ sense - it commands attention, it emboldens me, and like my clothing - it communicates who I am to the world. It’s simply another communication tool at our disposal, should we wish to use it.

You’re being very unfair on the teenage girls you describe - they are still learning how to communicate who they are to the world. As with any human behaviour, when it comes to their use of makeup of course they will copy others, they will want to ‘fit in’ with the majority or with their chosen tribe, and they won’t always get it ‘right‘ at first - they are still experimenting. It’s only ‘damaging’ them in your not-so-humble opinion, which you are projecting onto your pupils. I think the contempt their teacher has for their perfectly normal behaviours will probably cause them more ‘damage’ than use of makeup ever will.

Opened and used makeup is full of bacteria

So is pretty much everything!

I think my ipad has a billion more bacteria than my lipstick.

You need help if you are going about licking your ipad.

I love make up. I wear it almost every day. It makes me happy.

I also love my face without make up too. I always have done, even as an awkward teenager. Of course my face isn’t perfect, but it’s mine and I like it.

Am I brainwashed by the partriarchy, OP? Coz I like a bit of foundation and lipstick? Or do you just need to get a life?

You don’t lick lipstick either hun! You just pop a bit on your lips and leave it there.

This post shrieks 'You stupid women'

Why do I think you are male, telling women what they should do or not do?

@sixtyandsomething I replied earlier this morning and will admit that I've not read the whole thread.

It's got me pondering.

You may have already been asked and answered this question (apologies if so); you don't wear make up. Do you wear deodorant, shave your body hair or get your hair cut, styled and dyed?

I'd love to know. Especially if you get your hair cut. Why?? Is that for men? Or for you??

I love makeup! I’m comfortable enough in myself to not feel as if I have to wear it everyday, and go through phases of wearing it daily or just on special occasions, but when I do wear makeup I have to admit I feel more put together and confident. I think it’s a great way of expressing yourself and it’s fun to follow different trends and fashion. At school I remember loving blue mascara and then went through a goth stage with lots of black eyeliner!

You say you're a teacher what do you say to the hair and beauty teacher who is teaching young people to have a career in the beauty industry?

I wear make up for me . I love the process of putting it on. Some days i wear more than others.

Yes exactly.

I don't like earrings and wear no jewellery other than my wedding ring, but I do like makeup.

There are women who always have a necklace and match their shoes to their outfit but I bet OP doesn't comment on that..i do neither, it takes more thought than a neutral makeup look..most women do the same makeup daily.

I'm not beautiful without makeup. I look like a troll.

'I'm not beautiful without makeup. I look like a troll'
.
But you need to embrace your inner (and outer) troll!

Nah, not having it. OP is a bloke who does not like women in make up.