Makeup is War Paint

The Crazy, Beautiful Pressure to Be Seen

Makeup has always been more than pigment. From crushed beetles to Botox, beauty trends have demanded pain, power, and performance. Here’s the untamed truth behind our obsession with being “flawless”—and the messy meanings beneath the mascara.

The Lipstick Isn’t the Point

I didn’t really learn how to do makeup until I was 36.

Before that, I stuck to the bare minimum. Maybe a bit of foundation, some mascara if I was feeling fancy. It’s not that I was against it, I just never really subscribed to the cultural urgency around it. I noticed early on that the world seemed to value makeup more than I did.

And yet, I know a lot about it. I wasn’t swept up in it, so I watched, questioned, and listened instead of blending, drawing, and contouring.

That outsider perspective taught me something: makeup isn’t shallow. It’s strategic. It’s emotional. It’s everywhere. And even if you opt out, you’re still part of the system.

When Cleopatra crushed carmine beetles to tint her lips red, it wasn’t just vanity—it was power. Red meant status, sex, and survival. Centuries later, we’re still reaching for the same things: attention, acceptance, and advantage.

But here’s the twist: even “no makeup” makeup is still… makeup. We’ve just gotten better at pretending it’s natural. That’s the new game.

Why does this matter?

Because we’re living in a time when effortless is the new high maintenance. When filters get more likes than faces. When contouring is taught before consent.

Poison, Powder, and Paint: A Disturbing History

Did you know women in the 1700s used lead to whiten their faces? It slowly killed them. Victorians used belladonna to dilate their pupils. Dangerous. Stunning. Deadly.

Men wore makeup too. In fact, 18th-century French aristocrats had full glam routines. Wigs, rouge, perfume, powdered skin. Masculinity wasn’t bare-faced. It was baked.

Today’s influencers aren’t so different from geishas, drag queens, or Egyptian queens. The tools change. The pressure doesn’t.

What Are We Really Covering?

We cover dark circles from a job we hate.

We blend out sadness.

We draw on confidence.

And sometimes, we’re not hiding anything, but we’re creating a version of ourselves that feels more honest than the raw one.

Here’s a radical truth:

You don’t have to be insecure to wear makeup. You can just love beauty. You can crave expression. You can use eyeliner like armor and glitter like a middle finger.

“You Look Tired”

Ever gone bare-faced and heard “Are you sick?” Yeah. We all have.

That’s the cultural conditioning whispering that unpainted means undone. It’s why women spend thousands, why men sneak tinted moisturizers, why Zoom has beauty filters, and why teenagers are booking lip filler appointments for graduation.

We’ve blurred the line between beauty and worth. And it’s not your fault if you feel the pressure, because it’s by design.

Vanity vs. Power

The paradox of makeup is that it can be both empowering and oppressive. The same lipstick that makes you feel unstoppable might also be part of a system that profits from telling you you’re not enough.

But refusing to wear makeup doesn’t make you “more authentic.” Wearing it doesn’t mean you’re fake. There’s no moral high ground in either direction.

What matters is the intention. Are you doing it for you or for someone else’s approval?

Untamed Beauty

I believe in seductive contradictions. In red lips and real tears. In face masks and feminist rage. In building a life where a bare face is safe, and yet a bold one is also celebrated.

Makeup isn’t the enemy. The lie is that we need it to be lovable.

So wear it. Or don’t.

Smear it. Stain it. Smudge it on a lover’s collar.

Let it run when you cry.

Make it war paint. Make it poetry. Make it yours.

So, I finally learned professional makeup… after 36 years. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to own it on my terms.

🔥 Blushing

What does makeup mean to you? Share your favorite unapologetic glam moment. 💋