Silly question maybe but I happen to believe its a valid topic that needs to be addressed, not because Im bitter that it has (in some...
Silly question maybe but I happen to believe its a valid topic that needs to be addressed, not because Im bitter that it has (in some way) re-defined how people perceive Makeup but because its redefining what people think a makeup artist is. Ill confess I find most of the postings really intriguing and very creative but what Ive noticed most of all is that weve become obsessed with one trick ponies that have become superstars because they have treated us to a makeup trick that frankly has been around since makeup started being applied but have been reintroduced (term
used loosely) on social media as a new discovery and these Social Media influencers are not crediting their inspiration and or source. One example (there are many) is contouring an old theatre trick to enhance features, mostly used to make the masculine look more feminine.
Historically in some cultures women were not allowed on stage and the female roles were played by men Dressed As Girls which is where the term DRAG comes from and that brings me to modern times and the obsession to nurture these theatre/drag tricks that are designed to make a man look like a woman, these techniques are being used by women who already have cheek bones and feminine features. Is it to create a hyper-feminine look? I fear its not, I think its due to an over exposure to these InstaMakeup tricks that I fear contribute to the objectification/sexualisation of women and girls, it creates an unobtainable culture that can be quite damaging to the psyche.
Lets now talk about the positive side of these posts, as I mention I find them intriguing
and the creativity behind some of the looks very inspiring, something Ive always championed. Im a big believer that we as creative creature never stop learning and that me take inspiration from everything we see and experience in life. Ive always said that the reason were put on this Earth is to love and to learn and every experience were exposed to is an opportunity to learn, everyone we meet is an opportunity to love. So, I search for these posts and I relish in them and celebrate them as much as I critique them because thats part of the learning process.
Art is subjective and everyone should and will see something different in every piece, so lets not exclude makeup because it is just that, an art form and as such should endure the same scrutiny that all art receives. I have always believed and practiced the application of makeup to mostly enhance beauty, to create moods and tell stories for creative images and sometimes to just create ART on the face because in reality its just another canvas for an artist. Ive always approached it as such, a canvas but not as a blank canvas because theres a sketch there already, the eyes, mouth, eyebrows, ears, cheeks and face shape have already been gifted by nature. The real trick is not to try and create something thats not there, well leave that to the special effects makeup artist (a whole other story) our goal should be to even out skin, warm up or cool down the skin tone, bring out the colour of the eyes but most importantly to ENHANCE and EMBRACE the beauty in every one of our subjects. Our goal is to empower them with the confidence that makeup can gift, to take those quirky features and make them acceptable and appreciated and ultimately embraced.
InstaMakeup is a double edge sword because it creates unrealistic and unobtainable expectations and in some cases (my opinion) sexualises women rather than empowering them but it also exposes us to a cornucopia of creativity that can help us learn, grow and be inspired. So keep it coming but lets be responsible artists and lets set the narrative in a positive way that will ultimately always empower women. and men.
