Is makeup oppressive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone with bad skin, makeup allows me to walk out of the house in the morning feeling good about myself. I feel bad for men with bad skin who aren't allowed to do anything about it.

"Bad" skin - another social construct.

Gosh I never thought of it that way. I feel so much better about myself now that I realize the giant inflammed cyst on my chin and the small zits I get on my forehead and jaw every month the week before my period like clockwork are just a manifestation of Societal Pressure and The Patriarchy keeping me down and not at all due to genetics, hormonal imbalance, and my unique body chemistry. Thanks to you I no longer need to waste my hard earned money on the regime my dermatologist prescribed. She's obviously a shill for the Industrial Beauty Machine and doesn't give a crap about my wellness. I feel free for the first time in my life!

NP here. PP, check out motherdirt.com. This AO+mist has helped one DD with eczema and the other with acne/blackheads. It's a whole different theory of skin care; it argues that we wash off the good bacteria that break down oils and keep our face clear and skin healthy. The spray puts it back on. We have a mini-fridge in our upstairs bathroom just for this stuff. Works wonders. The website cannot talk about the health benefits yet because they are still running trials, so they market a little vaguely. But you can read about it on their science-oriented arm...you can find a link to it on the website. Basically, just like scientists are finding out that the gut biome composition is important, our skin biome composition is important as well. Because of my DDs eczema I've delved into a bit of this. I hope you try it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Makeup is fun. That's all.

Except that it isn't all, because women who choose not to wear makeup are penalized for that choice by society.

I don't wear makeup. Can you please tell me how society penalizes me? I would love to know more about that.

This is often career dependent. However, you are constantly being judged by store employees, real estate agents, car salesmen, school admissions officers, etc. and are likely to pay an invisible tax depending on how they feel about makeup. It can work in your favor though. Our society favors youth. Makeup ages some women. I look easily a decade younger due to genetics and younger still when next to similar aged friends wearing makeup.

i think in most professions women can get away without makeup. Plenty of people in my professional office don't. I don't mind wearing makeup because it takes me less than 5 minutes to throw it on during the workweek and I don't wear it on weekends. What I think we'll look back on as the "foot binding" of our time is all of the depilation/shaving/lasering away of our body hair. if you think about it, it's kind of a weird pedophile thing to shave your legs, underarms and bikini area (esp the brazilian) because it's making you look prepubescent. (read lolita and you'll see what I mean.) And it takes a hell of a lot of effort and time, and in my opinion doesn't really make you look "better" like make up can - i.e. clear skin, brighter eyes, etc. But I sheepishly do it because there is no way I can show up at work in my professional office with leg hair or at the neighborhood pool with full bush showing from my bathing suit without being a societal outcast. it sucks and is oppressive.

I think shaving underarms has value that has nothing to do with beauty. I think, especially in summer, it helps with hygiene. I use an epilator for my underarms, so it's gotten to the point that I don't have to do it every day. I do a lot of things that cause me to sweat, and I feel more comfortable with hairless underarms when I'm sweating that much. I don't see it as a beauty thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Makeup is fun. That's all.

Except that it isn't all, because women who choose not to wear makeup are penalized for that choice by society.

I don't wear makeup. Can you please tell me how society penalizes me? I would love to know more about that.

This is often career dependent. However, you are constantly being judged by store employees, real estate agents, car salesmen, school admissions officers, etc. and are likely to pay an invisible tax depending on how they feel about makeup. It can work in your favor though. Our society favors youth. Makeup ages some women. I look easily a decade younger due to genetics and younger still when next to similar aged friends wearing makeup.

i think in most professions women can get away without makeup. Plenty of people in my professional office don't. I don't mind wearing makeup because it takes me less than 5 minutes to throw it on during the workweek and I don't wear it on weekends. What I think we'll look back on as the "foot binding" of our time is all of the depilation/shaving/lasering away of our body hair. if you think about it, it's kind of a weird pedophile thing to shave your legs, underarms and bikini area (esp the brazilian) because it's making you look prepubescent. (read lolita and you'll see what I mean.) And it takes a hell of a lot of effort and time, and in my opinion doesn't really make you look "better" like make up can - i.e. clear skin, brighter eyes, etc. But I sheepishly do it because there is no way I can show up at work in my professional office with leg hair or at the neighborhood pool with full bush showing from my bathing suit without being a societal outcast. it sucks and is oppressive.

I think shaving underarms has value that has nothing to do with beauty. I think, especially in summer, it helps with hygiene. I use an epilator for my underarms, so it's gotten to the point that I don't have to do it every day. I do a lot of things that cause me to sweat, and I feel more comfortable with hairless underarms when I'm sweating that much. I don't see it as a beauty thing.

I'm always so impressed with women who can epilate their underarms. Ouch!

[Anonymous]

Is clothing in general oppressive then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is clothing in general oppressive then?

Not keens and unironed khakis and ill-fitting Oxford shirts which gape open and display your dingy bra.

[Anonymous]

What about men with beards, buns and ponytails wearing skinny jeans?
Are they oppressed?
Axe body spray must be guilty of oppressing men for sure using this line of thinking.
Deodorant?
What about people that get their poodles groomed? Let oppression?

[Anonymous]

^let = pet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is clothing in general oppressive then?

Not keens and unironed khakis and ill-fitting Oxford shirts which gape open and display your dingy bra.

Now thats just silly.

She wouldn't be wearing a bra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is clothing in general oppressive then?

Not keens and unironed khakis and ill-fitting Oxford shirts which gape open and display your dingy bra.

Now thats just silly.

She wouldn't be wearing a bra.

Hee hee, snort.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I'd call it oppressive, but it's absolutely true that in cultures where women have less power, they wear more makeup. Women in highly patriarchal societies (and parts of the U.S.) are more likely to wear much more makeup. It becomes one more way women compete to snag a man, in order to establish social status. Some examples: the Bible Belt south, Italy, Mexico, Japan. Some examples of more egalitarian and less made up places: liberal arts colleges, Scandinavia, Canada, blue states in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if I'd call it oppressive, but it's absolutely true that in cultures where women have less power, they wear more makeup. Women in highly patriarchal societies (and parts of the U.S.) are more likely to wear much more makeup. It becomes one more way women compete to snag a man, in order to establish social status. Some examples: the Bible Belt south, Italy, Mexico, Japan. Some examples of more egalitarian and less made up places: liberal arts colleges, Scandinavia, Canada, blue states in general.

I guess the continent of Africa kind of throws your theory out the window.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about men with beards, buns and ponytails wearing skinny jeans?
Are they oppressed?
Axe body spray must be guilty of oppressing men for sure using this line of thinking.
Deodorant?
What about people that get their poodles groomed? Let oppression?

I will say the man-bun is not my favorite look! I'm sure they feel suitably oppressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if I'd call it oppressive, but it's absolutely true that in cultures where women have less power, they wear more makeup. Women in highly patriarchal societies (and parts of the U.S.) are more likely to wear much more makeup. It becomes one more way women compete to snag a man, in order to establish social status. Some examples: the Bible Belt south, Italy, Mexico, Japan. Some examples of more egalitarian and less made up places: liberal arts colleges, Scandinavia, Canada, blue states in general.

I guess the continent of Africa kind of throws your theory out the window.

Lol you know white feminists don't spend a single second thinking about African countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if I'd call it oppressive, but it's absolutely true that in cultures where women have less power, they wear more makeup. Women in highly patriarchal societies (and parts of the U.S.) are more likely to wear much more makeup. It becomes one more way women compete to snag a man, in order to establish social status. Some examples: the Bible Belt south, Italy, Mexico, Japan. Some examples of more egalitarian and less made up places: liberal arts colleges, Scandinavia, Canada, blue states in general.

I guess the continent of Africa kind of throws your theory out the window.

Lol you know white feminists don't spend a single second thinking about African countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about men with beards, buns and ponytails wearing skinny jeans?
Are they oppressed?
Axe body spray must be guilty of oppressing men for sure using this line of thinking.
Deodorant?
What about people that get their poodles groomed? Let oppression?

I think it is innocent bystanders who are oppressed by Axe body spray.