When I was very young (say, about 8 or 9 years old), I swore to myself that I would never wear make-up. Or heels. Or dresses or skirts. I guess I was indoctrinated to believe that all these: make-up, heels and dresses were rites of passage that transformed me into the young girl I was into a typical woman just like everyone else. I believed these products to be goods marketed to target women’s inculcated insecurities, and even then, I refused to conform to society’s expectations of what is and isn’t beautiful.
10 years later, I am 19 years old, and I love make up. I don’t use it religiously, but I love the way make-up products look on me, and that remains the only sole reason I use these products. Capitalism and marketing manipulation do exist, and these standards that are expected of women are there because they were set by men, men who should have absolutely no say in deciding how a woman should appear to be “socially acceptable” to members of society. People clamouring on both ends of the spectrum that “make-up is essential and necessary for every woman!” and “women shouldn’t wear make-up because they look better naturally!” are redundant and inefficacious because the only people who should be given the right to decide whether or not to use make-up are the women who are actually using the products themselves.
I don’t apply make-up to please the people around me; I do it because it I like it and it even helps to boost my confidence levels. Always do things for yourself, because other people who offer criticisms about you (especially concerning your appearance) don’t actually care how you look like; it just provides them with a sense of power and entitlement that makes them believe they are allowed to dictate what and how you should look like.
(I guess you can say it’s a metaphor; you apply the manipulative product right to your face, but you don’t give it the power to do its manipulating.)
The general rule of using lipstick is to choose a colour that suits your skin tone well. (This reminds me of the time Taliza came over and we did make-up together for Triple A; googling “how to choose your lipstick” sort of helped.) Coral reds or dark reds with pink undertones are usually suitable for fair skin types, while medium or olive skin tones go well with pink and cranberry shades, as well as brick reds. For dark skins, reds with burgundy or brown tones work well. Of course, one can always opt to stick to true red, the allegedly universally flattering colour to suit all skin tones. But honestly, if you ever get the chance to lay your hands upon unconventional lipstick colours (dark purple, blue, green etc), go for it! You will never know how good it looks on you until you actually try it.
Eyeliners always come in handy when you want to look different – bold and accentuated. It also requires immense skill, to be quite honest, and my friends Effie and Mei are on a pedestalled level in the eyelining department, a level which I hope to achieve as well someday. Generally, black eyeliner works well on everyone, but it’s also fun to experiment with wacky colours such as blue and green. Liquid eyeliner is on a whole other level, and I aspire to flourish a liquid eyeliner wand with full confidence someday as well. One of the more popular looks that can be achieved with the appliance of eyeliners is the “smokey effect look”, coupled together with the addition of shimmering eyeshadow along the creases of the eyes.
For a dewy skin complexion, blushers work best for those with a medium skin tone. Produce a glowing effect with different shades of champagne for fair skins, a golden tone for olive skin types and a copper shade for those who have darker skin tones. Using blushers require little effort – but can make a world of difference. It also comes in handy for instantaneous freshening purposes – perfect for those like me who don’t realise it’s 2AM by the time the end credits of yet another episode starts rolling against a black screen. (Although, of course, wearing my fatigue outwardly and adamantly to show to the world remains on of my favourite long-term hobbies.)
Now, just by visiting Zalora.com.my, you can order make-up products that range from local to international brands, from lipsticks to eyeshadow palettes, and then wait for it to be delivered right to your doorstep!
michelle teoh 