Make-up free Miss Great Britain

[FusionChefGeoff]

What a great woman!!

Ms Great Britain contestant to compete make-up free www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-58346534

I too have finally given up on makeup - was wearing less and less but completely stopped now even for work. It helps that I'm genetically lucky to have good skin plus I do eat very well and drink gallons of water.

I hope it's giving a body positive message to my DD and the other girls in my life but I'd love to see more high profile women taking the same stance.

[NiceGerbil]

Your post doesn't seem to have anything to do with the thing the thread is about.

[NiceGerbil]

I mean to me.

Can you explain your comments a bit more?

[LobsterNapkin]

I find beauty pageants weird, but I think you have to look at this somewhat in the context of being a counterpoint to the more regular sort.

This is with regard to the question of whether it 's just another shallow beauty contest, dressed up to look better. I'm suggesting that although beauty contests seem a little unpleasent, this really has to be understood as a kind of response to those.

I sometimes get the impression that people feel that finding physically attractive people attractive is shallow.

What I am saying here is that in these discussions, I sometimes get the sense that people feel the real goal would be to get beyond noticing physical beauty, that this would make life more fair. So any setting that encourages thinking about beauty should be discouraged. I don't think that's a terribly useful way to think about it. I don't know that getting rid of beauty contests would be any great loss, but people are not going to stop noticing attractive people anytime soon.

[NiceGerbil]

'This is with regard to the question of whether it 's just another shallow beauty contest, dressed up to look better'

? This is not the situation at all. It's a standard beauty contest. Unless you have some more info?

[NiceGerbil]

'What I am saying here is that in these discussions, I sometimes get the sense that people feel the real goal would be to get beyond noticing physical beauty, that this would make life more fair'.

I must have missed this on the thread. Which posts are you referring to?

[deydododatdodontdeydo]

Is there even a Mr Great Britain?

Sort of, but it's a bodybuilding competition.
There is this, though: www.mrengland.info/about-us/

[Sagaz]

I get that she's beautiful even without make up but I still think it's a good reminder of how women's beauty isn't enough it has to be more, better, enhanced, filtered....

Obviously not in favour of these contests but if she's entering at all, this is a good way to do it.

Ireland has its first black miss Ireland this year. So although these contests are not in my opinion good for women, I hope they are evolving.

[KimikosNightmare]

I sometimes get the impression that people feel that finding physically attractive people attractive is shallow

There is that to it and indeed that caring about one's own attractiveness is shallow but that's not the issue here.

I've no problem whatsoever with using make up, or others using make-up or shaving legs or dyeing my hair "performing feminity" I do all of that and I enjoy it.

What I don't understand is that not wearing make-up in a beauty parade makes a beauty parade somehow more acceptable than the traditional fully made up parades.

[NiceGerbil]

No one said it made the parade more acceptable.

Where did you get that from?

Do you not find her story interesting?

[LobsterNapkin]

@KimikosNightmare

I sometimes get the impression that people feel that finding physically attractive people attractive is shallow

There is that to it and indeed that caring about one's own attractiveness is shallow but that's not the issue here.

I've no problem whatsoever with using make up, or others using make-up or shaving legs or dyeing my hair "performing feminity" I do all of that and I enjoy it.

What I don't understand is that not wearing make-up in a beauty parade makes a beauty parade somehow more acceptable than the traditional fully made up parades.

Yes. I think the reason is because they aren't a thing in themselves. They are a way of making a point about the more traditional version. Essentially saying, actually, all the artificiality of those pageants, which goes well beyond make-up, is not required for beauty.

It isn't taking a big stand against the idea of physical beauty, so to a point it's taking for granted that it is something people notice and value in some way, but it's looking to widen the expression of it.

[Keroppi]

She's gorgeous! She looks like Marina and the Diamonds.

I go makeup free 80% of the time, but I do find it annoying how I have internalised that I am presenting "my best self" by wearing makeup to events, interviews etc. However, I also just like how much more awake I look with eyebrow pencil and some smudgey eyeliner.

I'm not informed enough on beauty pageants and how they are ran these days to comment on that part. They probably raise money for charities or something now?

[NiceGerbil]

I have literally no idea why this woman is attracting such criticism.

[FlyingScott]

I wouldn’t bother with make-up either if I had her skin.

[TractorAndHeadphones]

While I applaud the ‘no-makeup’ stance ; I’ll only consider it a brave step forward if she doesn’t no skincare at all as well 😂
I know more women wear no makeup than dont but we all have naturally good skin. We look the same with or without

[NiceGerbil]

Have you read about her past?

[KimikosNightmare]

@NiceGerbil

No one said it made the parade more acceptable.

Where did you get that from?

Do you not find her story interesting?

Not particularly

And the OP is posting it as if she's some sort of fantastic role model because she doesn't wear make up.

[KimikosNightmare]

@NiceGerbil

I have literally no idea why this woman is attracting such criticism.

You are missing the point. I'm not criticising her. I'm criticising the OP. I don't know what the point of this thread is supposed to be.

[NiceGerbil]

Well she is a good role model for the masses of women and girls who feel how she did when she was young, she's doing something that I imagine is a pretty big deal in that world etc.

I think she's cool. And she's got her message and story into the mainstream press and I think what she said was very honest and many girls and women will relate to it.

So yes. I think she's done a good thing.

A contestant in a beauty competition for women not wearing makeup for the event surely is a pretty big deal? I don't know if anyone's done it before.

I still don't get the criticism.

Is it that women who support women's rights are only supposed to think women doing whatever is good. If they fulfill some kind of criteria?

[NiceGerbil]

Is it that if you think beauty contest are sexist objectifying etc

That saying nice one about something one of the contestants does which is unusual/ never done. And sharing a really heartfelt story in the press about bullying etc as she has done. Should be ignored because of the context?

I don't feel that way and obviously nor does OP.

[KimikosNightmare]

Is it that if you think beauty contest are sexist objectifying etc

Is there any doubt they are sexist and objectifying? Of course they are. They serve no purpose whatsoever other than to judge women on physical appearance.

The OP says

I hope it's giving a body positive message to my DD and the other girls in my life but I'd love to see more high profile women taking the same stance

It's such a mixed/ muddled message. Wearing make-up bad- tottering around in high heels and a swimsuit- good as long as you don't wear make up.

[NiceGerbil]

OP didn't say she thinks beauty contests are good.

She said that what this woman is doing and the things she says which have been on MSM are good.

Not the same thing at all.

And certainly there are a lot of women and girls who are interested in beauty etc and whose story and what she's doing might resonate.

[NiceGerbil]

You've read the piece posted, I'm not sure how you get 'make up bad' as the summary of what this woman had to say about why she was doing it.

That all you took from her words/ story?

[Dyrne]

I’m pleased that this woman has overcome her bullying and is spreading a message of self acceptance. But it rubs me the wrong way that she’s entering a beauty pagent, as if to say “I’m still beautiful even without make up”. And I don’t like that “not wearing makeup” is being lauded as some sort of outrageously brave step.

I don’t like messages that are essentially “You can be/do [Non conforming thing] and be beautiful”

Why does “being beautiful” have to be the goal?

I’m short, fat and never wear makeup. I am not “beautiful” by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t care - I still have worth.

[NiceGerbil]

Because for massive numbers of women and girls that is the message they are pushed constantly. As have been for years.

The message from so many sources is that if you're a girl/ woman being pretty/ beautiful IS massively important.

It persists even with all the efforts etc to reduce those messages that are so damaging to the self esteem etc of so many.

[NiceGerbil]

'I’m still beautiful even without make up”. And I don’t like that “not wearing makeup” is being lauded as some sort of outrageously brave step.'

Entering a beauty contest with no make up must be pretty much unthinkable in that world surely? Doing something that is just Not Done is never easy is it?

Still surprised by all the negativity and not had mind changed yet!

Or maybe it's a fuck you to her bullies
Or to prove something to herself
Who knows?

To assume this is about her showing off is a massive assumption about her character. And given the bullying etc it's not the first one I'd go to- that she's doing it because she's vain and enjoys feeling superior to other women.

Why did you read it that way do you think esp given her history?