I'm Giving Up Makeup (Well, Mostly)
I started wearing makeup for the first time when I was in high school, right around when I met my first boyfriend. At that time, I only wore makeup on the weekends because I went to an all-girls high school, but when I got to college, I started wearing it everyday.Since then, I've been a daily user of foundation, blush, powder, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and lip gloss, and have also occasionally used lipstick, mascara, and eyebrow pencil.
Times are a'changin because of my plastic-free goals, though, and I've been seriously rationing my makeup. Instead of wearing my full "face" everyday, I've been picking and choosing what to wear. On days I really want to look nice, like when I'm going to a big meeting or a nice restaurant, I go back to my old cosmetics routine. On days when it matters less, I only wear a little eyeliner and eyeshadow.
But I don't like it because makeup makes me feel pretty--as if all my imperfections have vanished away. In the winter, when my face gets all red and blotchy, it makes my skin look even and clear, and if I'm not wearing it, no matter what the time of year it is, I always feel like I look tired and not quite "put together."Yep, as you can imagine, I've been feeling pretty ugly lately because of the rationing, and now I'm almost out of foundation and I'm freaking out. The reality is really starting to hit me that
sometime this year, I'm probably going to run out of all the makeup I have and that I'm going to feel absolutely hideous. My self-esteem is going to take a beating.Eventually, though, I'll get used to seeing myself without makeup and I'll recover.
Or should I say I'll get used to seeing myself with less makeup. I'm still hoping to find at least a few plastic-free alternatives. I already
know of a few lip glosses in metal tins, but my dream is a plastic-free eyeliner.I have this sinking suspicion, however, that my hopes and wishes aren't quite going in the right direction. What I should really be wishing for is that one day women won't wear makeup at all. Men don't wear makeup. Why should we?
Note: It's probably for the best that I'm giving up most makeup because, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, makeup often contains dangerous chemicals.
Comments
1. I included them partly to make my sister laugh (did it work?)
2. Blogger preview stinks when you use a lot of pictures. Ahhhh!
I've never been one for a full face of makeup everyday. I go for a little gloss, some blush, an eyebrow comb. Add to that a bit of eye shimmer on fancy dress days. That's it.
I am a fan of Burt's Bees (lip shimmers and blush)and I may continue to buy them even though they were bought by Clorox and have gone bonkers with all the crazy packaging crap they put out during the holidays. (Talk about plastic!)
Have you tried an eyelash curler instead of mascara? Also, do eyeliner pencils have plastic in them? If you find a good plastic-free eye shadow in a dark color you could get a good brush and do a line of that at the base of your lashes instead of eyeliner. :) Just some thoughts!
Enjoying your blog.
I'm too lazy and too feminist to wear makeup every day; the last time I wore more than Chapstick was as a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding in 2005. But I can certainly understand how you feel...it's so ingrained in us, isn't it? Don't let gendered expectations of beauty get you down! :)
So in her comment Laura suggested using eyeshadow instead of eyeliner, and I agree with her...if you can find something plastic free, that is. I only use moistened eyeshadow instead of eyeliner. I am so pale that eyeliner feels like overkill for me. The shadow stays put all day and adds just enough definition.
I don't know much about this yet- - -but what about the refillable options? Buy one compact and then refill? I think these are the more expensive kinds, but would involve less waste.
What about the simple pencil sharpening eyeliner?
I have to admit that it's one thing I feel like I do "need" once in a while, but I'm willing to look for better earth-friendly options. I am cojoined to my eyeliner, mascara and base so this might be an issue!
It's funny that I pick colors that mostly just blend in as opposed to the "made up" look. Mostly I'm just kind of smoothing my rough edges. It might be easier then I think.
Those eyeliners last FOREVER. Like probably a year of wearing them everyday. And then when you're done you can just refill.
So unless the eyeliner pencil comes without plastic packaging, that might be a better answer. Also I hate those eyeliner pencils. They're pretty rough on the soft skin around your eyes.
The only reason you feel less put together without makeup is because you're used to seeing yourself in it. Try going without for an extended period of time, and maybe you'll just get used to it. Nowadays, when I put on makeup, I feel like a drag queen.
And I'm totally not dissing drag queens!
1) Quit looking in the mirror. Seriously - you'll never know the makeup is not there if you can't see it. I backpacked for a year without even showering or brushing my hair regularly, and never really noticed until I got back to North America, where there are mirrors everywhere. I had felt fine about it up until that point, and the only comments I ever got while backpacking were about how 'natural' and 'beautiful' I looked.
2) No 'girl' mags. Cosmo and the like are killer on the ego. On some level I am sure we all know we can't possibly ever look like the airbrushed models on the ad pages, but I know I still feel somehow 'less' for not measuring up to that standard...
3) get rid of the TV (for reasons outlined above).
Drastic solutions, and quite possibly not the ones for you, but being a non-TV watching, Mother Earth News buying non-makeup wearer, I feel more than beautiful enough...
Your colleagues/friends might have unopened stuff that they got in gift bags or some other way -- I've gotten a ton of makeup for free this way. They might also have undesirable eyeliner pencils that you can sharpen the bacteria off of, provided they're not too old. I'd say going forward the lowest-impact thing to do is to get the items you'll have to replace the least, even if they involve plastic. I'm sure you already know that the bigger problem is the upstream waste - apparently 70 times the downstream amount!
Megan
PS. I'm with Beth on the drag queen. And you are very pretty in your photos, if you need a boost from a stranger now that your face is feeling naked.
As for getting makeup from other people, I suppose I would consider taking unwanted makeup from good friends, but most of my friends don't wear much makeup. C'est la vie!
It is an extremely conscientious company that uses completely toxin-free cosmetic ingredients and only BPA- and pthalate-free plastics, as well as biodegradable shipping materials. Perhaps you could go to them for eyeliner, if nothing else. I got a trial kit from them, and the makeup felt so clean. Of course, confidence glows like no other cosmetic fix!