I have three daughters and I am a (new!) young women leader in my ward, so I've been thinking about girl-stuff lately. Plus also (nod to Junie B.), I happen to be a girl. Here's what I think and I'd love to hear your opinions on the subject. -especially if they agree with mine! (Just kidding, although Matthew won't think I am.) I don't think that women should have to wear makeup or shave their legs. Now before you run screaming from my blog in horror, hear me out. Why do women shave their legs? It's not natural. You may say, because it's gross for women to have hairy legs. It wouldn't be gross if everyone was used to it. No one thinks it's gross for women to have hair on their arms. (Do they?) It's a conspiracy I tell you. Women should just dress modestly and throw away their razors. Who's with me? Anyone, anyone? This rant is brought to you by my sprained ankle, which makes it difficult for me to stand on one foot in the shower to shave my legs.
On to make-up. (Isn't this fun?) I happen to hate the stuff. Mostly because I don't know how to use it & always feel like a little girl playing with her mom's makeup & trying to look pretty & grown-up when I wear it. I also don't take thirty minutes to get my face ready every morning, so I have an irrational fear that if I ever start to wear more makeup (& I'm afraid I'm starting to need it now that I'm pushing thirty), I'll never be able to stop because if I don't wear it, I'll look like I just woke up. Know what I mean? Once you start, you can't stop. I've been told I look just fine without makeup and that I don't need it, but that is only because I never wear it. If I wore lots of make up every day & you saw me once without it, you would think I needed it. Girls, I think you're beautiful and you don't need to cover up any spots or blemishes or lengthen your lashes or darken your lips to be more beautiful. I look at my girls and it just breaks my heart to imagine them thinking that they had to make themselves look prettier, because they are not naturally pretty enough. Now, I don't really have a problem with make-up or think it's wrong for anyone to wear it, I just don't think that any female out there should feel like she has to wear it. I just wish women & girls appreciated their own natural beauty a little more. Don't get so used to a painted on face that when you look in the mirror without makeup, you don't like what you see. & please, when my girls start wanting to wear makeup (despite my example & warnings & feminist views), will one of my lovely sisters please teach them how? 'Cause I got nothin'.
So, do you think I'm a crazy Amazon jungle woman now? I'm not really. Just a wannabe.
8 comments:
I second everything you just said, and have for a long time! I didn't, until recently, even WANT to wear makeup or shave my legs or wear cute clothes or anything else girly. Ty thinks I'm very feministic (Yeah, spellcheck, take that!). But who is he to judge, since he (by those standards) is a feminist too! He hates makeup and thinks women are silly to worry so over their appearance. He likes his women (okay, just woman) NAT. U. RAL. And I think most men do.
I don't think anyone should HAVE to do those things to be accepted or loved, but if it's fun or makes you feel pretty then go for it! Lately I have a whole new attitude about being a woman, which has changed my mind about a lot of these things, but not for anyone else's benefit - just my own.
Plus also, when makeup is applied correctly it doesn't cover...it only amplifies features. So your neighbors should still recognize you if you happen to run to the mailbox first thing in the morning without your daily dose of makeup!
Let's review:
1.makeup should not be used as a mask, or to provide false self-esteem!
2.makeup can be fun!
3.you don't need makeup, em, cause you are beautiful!
4.natural is great, but you don't want to look Amish - for Heaven's sake, it gives the church a bad name for a bunch of pioneer dress-wearing, braided hair-doing, makeup-less women to go shuffling about town! *not directed at you, em, I just get a little frustrated with some people's misconception that to be "righteous" you must care nothing about outward appearance.
5.mascara alone can do wonders for diffusing the Amish myth!
Hahaha! Andrea, your point #4 totally describes Southern Utah, but they're not Amish, they're polygamist, & as long as you don't French braid your hair & poof your bangs, people can tell the difference! ;)
I'm with you on your post also. I think the make-up thing has gotten way out of control in the world today. Hope you ankle gets better soon....
Now Em, after growing up together, we both know that there is one of us that looks a whole heck of a lot better without make-up and it isn't me. There are those blessed with even skin tone and no bags under their eyes and just basic flawless beauty. We both know who this is...
I have decided on a few occasions to venture out into the world without a small does of make-up and I just ended up being asked if I felt ok and if I was ill. Grandma Nelson asked me once if I was getting enough iron. (I wasn't wearing make-up.) How ironic that the one who is gorgeous without one hint of concealor is the one writing this blog about how make-up isn't necessary. There is a portion of the population for which make-up is VERY necessary.
Love you (and your perfect features, skin and flawless overall appearance.) :)
Maryann
I'm just loving this conversation, especially the part between my two lovely daughters.
I went home the other day and asked Dad, "Do I look really old and worn out?" To which he replied (smart man), "Of course not, you look great!"
Why did I ask him that? Because two people had told me during the day that "wow, you look exhausted," or "whoa, are you ok?"
The really sad thing is that I felt fine, up until these kind people inquired after my health.
Oh well.
Love to you all, made up or not!
Mom
P.S. You both have lovely skin, and we all know that Christina has the best eyebrows in the family, and by the way, I love Maury's skin.
Well, I don't know about the leg thing, I have great ones and I must say, they look even better when shaved (I know that's totally bad proudness there, I'm working on it). As for make-up, I'm with you. I grew up seeing my friends and some sisters OBSESSED about not leaving the house w/out this or that smeared somewhere on their face and it got me thinking then, who wants to be a slave to make-up? To anything?
I admit I did start to wear tinted moisturizer with SPF, mostly because of skin cancer that runs in the family, about 4 years ago, and I do prefer the color of my lipstick to the actual color of my lips, but I can go without and most days I do. So, teach your girls that it's ok, but anything that comes into their life that controls them (like NEVER leaving the house w/out mascara) is not ok.
Dang, if I take that advice it could mean hairy hairy legs! I'll think about it. . .
Lets burn our bras!!! Oh... was that not one of the options? I want in on the femenist rant. Here goes, Maryann don't feel bad, the irony of Emily who rivals Snow White with ebony hair and lips as red as the red red rose is the one saying we don't need makeup, is not lost on me either. If my age and my beauty were never questioned when I was naked faced I would say dump the crap too. I am not afraid to leave the house without it, I do all the time! I slap some on when I am going to church or to an evening function. People always say wow you look nice or pretty when I have some whale fat splattered on my cheeks and lips so I figure I look better, but it takes time and who's got that?
NOw for the legs, I'm totally on board Emily! My legs are heavy, my kankles are large and there is certainly no reason to show them off. Plus when you don't shave for more than a week the hair on your leggs is softer and more manageable.
Haha, Ma, thanks for the compliment about my eyebrows...although they can get pretty unruly! I like make-up--I agree with Andrea. It's fun to use. However, I really like Emily's idea about going without shaving legs. It would save time, for one thing! I don't think it's going to happen though. I guess I'll go get new razors.
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