Four Makeup Stigmas and How To Overcome Them

I’m don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of all of the stigmas surrounding makeup! Whether you wear it, how much you wear, who can wear it, why you wear it… enough already!

The truth is, makeup is not mandatory.

If you don’t want to wear makeup and have no interest in it at all, that’s okay! If you don’t have time to apply makeup every day, that’s okay too!

I do have to point out, though… if you watch any of my “get ready with me” Instagram Stories, you know it doesn’t take a lot of time to do a face of makeup!

That being said, there is a teensy tiny little problem among the people who choose not to wear makeup, for whatever reason. There’s a small subset of people who (maybe inadvertently or unknowingly) judge the “makeup wearers” of the world.

It might come from a place of defensiveness or maybe they’ve just become more and more opposed to makeup over time. Either way, this is where the makeup stigmas start to develop.

In this blog, I want to share four of the makeup stigmas I hear the most from people I chat with.

Makeup Stigma #1 – Makeup Is So Superficial!

Technically, applying and wearing makeup is superficial in the sense that it’s concerned with what’s on the surface. But, it’s not superficial in the way that people sometimes use it as a way to criticize.

Actually, the use of makeup is {almost} instinctual. Ancient history suggests women and men have been adorning their faces dating back to 10,000 B.C. Just like most of us love dressing well to compliment our skin tone and body shape, we also like to adorn our faces.

These days, a lot of us are mostly using makeup for the added benefits, too! Not only can makeup (and of course, skin care products) awaken our faces for the day, it can also act as a barrier for the elements of the world. You can also choose makeup that’s packed with great skin hydrators, SPF, and vitamins!

Makeup can be something that just makes you feel great, but it can also go deeper than that. 

Makeup Stigma #2 – It’s Only For Insecure People

This one is just plain false.

If you choose to wear makeup (or not) it has nothing to do with how secure or insecure you are. 

I fully believe that almost everyone is insecure about something, myself included. It’s what makes us human beings. If we could just magically fix that with something like makeup, I think way more people (not just women) would be wearing it. Unfortunately, it isn’t that straightforward.

If you feel 100% confident without makeup, AWESOME! Just please don’t judge others who may use makeup as a confidence booster. But, I don’t think that everyone who wears makeup is doing it because they’re insecure about how they look.

Makeup Stigma #3 – I Don’t Have Any Time

Here’s the thing: I hate the word busy. I choose not to use it in my vocabulary because to me, it’s a terrible word that has a tendency to shut people out of your life. We are ALL being torn in a hundred different directions. But “busy” is a state of mind and we have the power to make time for the things (and people) that matter to us.

That being said, makeup does not have to take long to apply, especially everyday makeup.

I’ve developed a four-step application routine that you can tweak to suit your skin, preferences, and lifestyle. Four steps! You definitely have time for that.

Just like we practice choosing outfits and doing our hair until it becomes second nature, makeup can become part of our routine. You would never say “I don’t have time to get dressed in the morning” would you? Because it’s all about time management and prioritization!

Yes, some days there are just not enough minutes in the day. But it’s important that recognize that those days should be the exception and not the norm. Figure out a way to carve out you time everyday. You need it. Trust me!

Makeup Stigma #4 Wearing Makeup Just Feeds Into the Feminine Stereotype

First of all, makeup is for everyone. It’s gender neutral.

Yes, wearing makeup is an activity predominately practiced by women, but I wholeheartedly believe makeup is not limited to women and I always try to keep my language gender neutral. My book, Be Your Own Makeup Artist, is also inclusively written (no age, race, gender, or brand bias — that’s why it’s being used as curriculum for some beauty schools!)

Wearing makeup, regardless of your gender identity doesn’t make you more feminine or less masculine.

However, the world at large is still catching up with this belief. Sadly, male-identifying individuals who choose to wear makeup are still treated differently in some cases than female-identifying individuals who choose not to wear makeup.

But, times are changing and Instagram and YouTube is making it much more mainstream. The person who immediately pops into my mind is Manny Gutierrez. He’s an official spokesman for many cosmetics brands and he’s doing a lot of work when it comes to pushing the boundaries of gender and makeup use.

Some Closing Thoughts

Wearing makeup is a personal choice.

Don’t wear makeup because you feel pressured to. Wear makeup because you want to.

I meet a lot of people who have a disdain towards makeup mostly because they do not know how to properly use makeup. They feel like an outsider in the makeup world and instead of taking the time to learn how to shop for, apply, and wear it properly… they simply give up. That’s why I am here! I love teaching people how to wear makeup in an approachable way.

Rather than continue to feel alienated by makeup, why not learn a little more about it? You can start by downloading my free Makeup for Beginners guide by filling out the form below:

Get My Free

Skin Type Guide!

There are also people who are put off by the idea of makeup because they are or were a “tomboy” and they’re intimidated by makeup. There’s women who feel they need to wear makeup everyday because that’s what women do. Or men who secretly wish they could wear makeup but they can’t find anything that looks “natural” or masculine.

👉 I love educating men and women on the art and technique of makeup application.

👉 I love seeing how reducing the amount of makeup some of my clients use boosts their outer confidence.

👉 I love how makeup can transform people from the outside in.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me here and I’ll either reply to you directly or turn your question into a future blog topic! Oh, and check out all the makeup education services I offer here. I would LOVE to help you learn how to wear makeup in a way that works for YOU and YOUR LIFE.

Do you have thoughts on these makeup stigmas? Do you think I missed any? Leave me a note in the comments!