Keep Calm and Beauty On

   Beauty is failing to completely wash the conditioner out of your hair, putting on sweats instead, and calling it a day. It doesn’t have to be bright or bold and it doesn’t have to be plain or natural. All it has to be is someone being comfortable to express themselves.

  Makeup was designed to make a person stand out in the best way, yet some people still dismiss it as a mask to hide who someone truly is. While this may be true in some circumstances, it is usually just a unique way of expressing themselves as themselves.

  It’s not fair, because some people are extremely talented in makeup. It is an art, as it requires the same amount of skill, creativity, and precision as painting a portrait. And, of course, the outcome is a signature design of the creator’s style.

  Going natural is also a strength and a way of expressing someone as they truly are. There is no better way of boosting yourself than to display yourself in all of your given glory. “I just go with what I’m feeling,” says Kenya Vanderbeek, a junior athlete who favors natural looks over makeup.

  For some, it’s just a bit much to always wear makeup and for others it’s just a bit boring to not wear it. Ultimately, it all just comes down to that particular person and what makes them feel stronger.

  It’s unfair to say that one is better is than the other. It would only put people down if they favor one over the other. However, it is still understandable to say due to how standardized the world has become over the years, where makeup is an essential part of beauty and natural looks are becoming less popular in modern culture.

  Young people simply trying to fit in are susceptible to false and sometimes damaging influences, such as choosing the wrong friends because of peer pressure or even following up on celebrities recognized initially for being the standard of beauty. The need to be a part of an accepting group or making themselves the equivalent of a false idol outweighs the need to be themselves, and because of this, makeup is the way to physically change themselves as if attempting to be someone else.

  This was never meant to become something negative, but it has and it has left some feeling self-conscious about themselves in society where makeup is stereotyped as a bad thing. Sometimes, people wear makeup just because they want to and who could hold that against anyone if it causes no harm? Natural beauty is no different than makeup unless you’re getting paid to specialize in it.

  If a person feels one way about themselves, maybe it would be best to leave them to it. Or maybe not, if it means they feel inferior to others in their surroundings. However, no one should be the one to influence their opinions; it’s just not their place.