Makeup is a great skill. I am incredibly jealous when I see the beautiful looks that people of all genders can create. These people are incredibly talented, and I could never reach the level of skill they have.
However, I don’t feel the need to create those looks on myself. It’s almost like when you’re watching cooking shows, you are interested in the foods they make, but you wouldn’t necessarily make or eat them yourself.
Despite this feeling, as I get closer to my first job after college, I still feel pressured to wear makeup in the workplace. Women especially are judged by their looks in every situation. They are judged on what they wear, how their hair looks and whatever else may be used to decide their character.
It’s no secret that makeup is largely associated with women, even though makeup is for everyone. I don’t know how many times I have gotten incredibly shocked looks when I tell people I’ve never tried makeup before. It’s almost like when you tell people that you’ve never watched “Game of Thrones.”
In article from Allure Magazine, an American beauty magazine, different women shared their perspectives on whether women should wear makeup to the office. Some of them say that it is OK to not wear makeup while others go as far to say “putting makeup on for work shows that you care about your appearance and are detail oriented…”
I disagree with that whole-heartedly. Why is makeup the one aspect that determines whether you are detail oriented? Shouldn’t your work speak for itself?
Now I do think that your appearance is something that needs to be professional when going to work. You should never show up to the workplace in sweatpants or ratty clothes. But makeup is not essential to a woman’s appearance, it’s an accessory and enhances your look. Just like a necklace is an accessory and can enhance your look, but it is not necessary.
This one aspect of a person’s appearance is held to such a high standard in our society. Whether you are wearing “too much” makeup or nothing at all, you are judged for it. However, just like clothes you should not don a makeup look with neon colors when you go to your corporate job. Neon colors really don’t have a place in a professional setting.
Overall, it should be a choice on what you do with your face when coming to work, as long as you look clean and professional, wearing makeup should not affect how much of a hard worker you are perceived to be.
Nicole Hindberg can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @HindbergNicole.