Alicia Keys penned a letter recently about not wearing any makeup in an effort to be more comfortable with her authentic self.
This letter has undoubtedly sparked a much-needed debate on social media not only about ones choice to NOT wear any makeup but about self-esteem in its entirety.
During the 2016 VMA’s Alicia Keys graced the red carpet with husband Swizz Beatz with not one ounce of makeup. This was a very unorthodox move from her publically since launching her #NoMakeup movement.
Many publications, entertainment newscast, men and even women would say this was a bold or brave thing for her to do and I can’t help but ask why?
Why is NOT wearing makeup all of a sudden this BRAVE thing to do? More importantly, why is WEARING makeup all of a sudden this terrible thing?
The notion of makeup wearing in society has definitely been exaggerated beyond belief. Not wearing makeup is NOT a movement, it’s NOT brave and is NOT a revolution.
Alicia Keys has worn makeup, then spent literally thousands to fix and maintain her skin, and is now telling others they can do it too. She’s not beating anyone over the head with her ‘story’ however, when are we going to talk about how much money it took to get her skin that way? And how inaccessible the cost is for you?
MOST women don’t wear a full face of makeup daily and not wearing makeup is the norm.
In Keys ‘Time to Uncover’ letter, she says “Every time I left the house, I would be worried if I didn’t put on makeup: What if someone wanted a picture?? What if they POSTED it??? These were the insecure, superficial, but honest thoughts I was thinking. And all of it, one way or another, was based too much on what other people thought of me.” Although every woman has felt ‘WHAT WILL THEY THINK OF ME’ choosing to support one and put down the other is not the wave.
Although Keys isn’t forcing the issue on anyone, her intention behind not wearing makeup is a good one for the young girls that look up to her. Since we are living in a digital age, it is easy to be overwhelmed with Hollywood’s standard of beauty making a woman feel like who they are and the way they are isn’t good enough.
Makeup is a creative outlet for a lot of people and is an ART furthermore. Everyone has the right to choose what works best for them. If you choose to wear makeup you’re beautiful and if you decide not to, you’re STILL beautiful.
I look forward to seeing how this conversation develops as more celebs are ditching their glamorous, filtered selfies for makeup-less ones. I also look forward to seeing more seminars for young girls on how to improve their self-esteem from the inside out.
What are your thoughts on Alicia Keys “#NoMakeup Movement?” Feel free to discuss in the comments below.
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