Why I don't wear makeup

Up until about 4 months ago, I used to wear makeup every day. Granted, sometimes I would only wear mascara, but still, I NEEDED it. I was hooked to makeup like it was crack. I wouldn't go anywhere without it- not even the gym. I really just didn't like what I looked like without it. I felt ugly a lot of the time. And even with makeup, I had self esteem issues.

And then one day I had a revelation. WHO CARES?!? I mean, why was my appearance so important to me? Why did I care so much if other people thought I was attractive? Why was it so important to me that I feel attractive? And to get to the root of the problem, why did I only feel confident about my looks with artificial colors and chemicals painted all over my face? Are my natural looks really so bad?

So I didn't wear any makeup that day. And I didn't wear any makeup the next day. Or the day after. And you know what? It felt pretty good. Not only was I saving valuable time and money, but I felt better about myself. My confidence really began to skyrocket because I wasn't basing my own worth off of my physical appearance. I had always known I had much more to offer than my looks, but if wasn't until I honestly stopped caring, that I truly believed it.

There was such a sense of empowerment when I just stopped caring what other people thought about my looks. I could honestly care less if someone thought I was ugly, or someone thought I was attractive. Physically appearance doesn't mean anything. It doesn't measure someone's worth and is in no way indicative of what they have to offer. It's superficial and vain, and I really didn't want to be a part of that world anymore. And I stopped participating in that caddy life of judging other women by their looks.

With every day that went by, I felt better and better about myself. And I really started thinking about makeup in general, and why I originally wore it, and why most women do wear it. I mean, it's expensive, it's time consuming, and it's bad for your skin. But...It makes us look "better", so that's a good enough reason. For women, looking good seems to outweigh most everything.

From birth, girls are taught to want to be beautiful like a princess. Society places a VERY strong emphasis on a woman's appearance. From her weight, to her clothes, to her hair, to her face, to her body. If you walk through Target, you'll see rows and rows and rows of makeup, made exclusively for women. You'll also see rows of facials cleansers and age defying lotions, made exclusively for women. These products are supposed to improve appearance, but only for women.

Diets and weight loss programs are designed for women. A small percentage are designed for men, and they are always noted as a "men's program." The majority of weight loss programs are designed for women. (Think Jenny Craig & Weight Watchers)

Cosmetic surgery has been booming. In 2008, there were 12.1 million cosmetic procedures performed in the United States. And guess what? 91% of of those cosmetic procedures were for women! That's horrible. Over 12 million Americans felt they needed a cosmetic procedure to look better, and 11 million of those were females. (http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Media/stats/2008-quick-facts-cosmetic-surgery-minimally-invasive-statistics.pdf)

The pressure for women to be thin is worse than ever. It is estimated that 8 million Americans have eating disorders. And 7 million of those are women. 1 in 200 American women suffers from anorexia, and 2-3 in 100 American women suffers from bulimia. (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm)

I remember reading recently that women spend over $400,000 on beauty products in their lifetime. A teen girls spend an average of $200 a month of beauty products. Sheesh. It sure seems that women will sacrifice everything in the name of beauty. She will spend time every morning putting on makeup, she will spend money buying it, she will spend thousands of dollars in one lump sum on cosmetic procedures and endure the pain and health risks of going under the knife and getting a completely unnecessary surgery. She will slowly kill herself with eating disorders, just so she can be the size she thinks she is supposed to be.

I have to say, I don't like these societal beauty standards at all. Women are real people, with real feelings and real talent and real experiences. Women have amazing things to offer and contribute to this world. We're not just pretty faces. We're not just sexual fantasies and play things for male amusement. We don't deserve the pressures of feeling obligated to look great. Men certainly don't have those same pressures. Men can be accepted for who they are and what they look like without having to put on makeup, go on disgusting diets, get needles poked in their faces to get rid of wrinkles, get plastic surgery or throw up after every meal. Why can't women be afforded this same right? Why can't women simply be? Why can't women just be comfortable with what they were born to look like, and say FU to anybody who doesn't like it?

I have not worn any makeup for over 4 months, and I do not intend to wear makeup ever again. I think I look great without it. I gained real confidence through accepting myself for who I actually am, and I have never felt so good about my looks in my life. I don't waste my time or money on that crap anymore. I mean, what is so wrong with what women actually look like? Nothing! But patriarchy still lives on, and society still makes women feel like they NEED to look great, and go to artificial means to achieve this. It is very profitable for cosmetic industries to tear down women's self esteem, and then sell them products that will make them feel good again.

But I think it takes a real sense of security to be able to walk out of the house everyday with your natural face and like the way you look, and not care about pleasing other people, especially men. And it's definitely empowering to rebel against the status quo and sexist beauty standards.

That is why I don't wear makeup.

Feminist books for young readers!

I am always excited to learn about new things that help empower women and girls. Check this out:

The Amelia Bloomer Project produces an annual list of books for young readers, ages birth through 18, that contain significant feminist content-not just cardboard “feisty” or “spunky” girls and women, but tales of those who have broken barriers and have fought to change their situations and their environment.

Examples of books include:

Violet the Pilot- Rejected by classmates for her love of science and mechanics, Violet’s wild invention saves the day when others need her help.

Running Shoes- With her new shoes, Sophy runs through the rice fields of Cambodia to the local school, where, as the only girl, she strives to achieve her dream of an education.

Ballots for Belva: the True Story of a Woman’s Race for the Presidency- During the late 1800’s when only men could vote, Belva Lockwood earned a law degree, successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court, and ran for the office of President of the United States.

For a complete list of books, and more about the project, check out:

http://libr.org/ftf/bloomer.html

Media, sexism, and politics- MUST SEE video

This is a fantastic video about sexism in the media regarding politics. I thought I would share it.

Halloween: A time to emphasize a woman's place in society

For as long as I can remember, Halloween has always been a time for women to dress as scantily as possible without being labeled. Or basically, a chance for women to try to get as much attention from men as possible without being called a "slut". Attention from men is what women are supposed to strive for. Approval from men/ looking good for men, is what women are conditioned to contend for from birth. (I.e., make up, breast implants, Botox, weight watchers, liposuction, tanning, fake nails, eating disorders, face lifts, breast lifts, hair extensions, lip injections, facials, tummy tucks, age defying lotion, push up bras, etc.)

These generic, barely there costumes are unoriginal and not meant to be creative and unique. They are meant to put a woman's body on display. And not just a display for men, but for other women too. It's important to show other women what you bring to the table, how you compare to them, how you look "better" and "sexier" than them, and that you are more desirable than they are. You want other women to look at you and be jealous, because women are taught to compete with each other for male approval. In a patriarchal society, getting ahead means pleasing the group in charge, or pleasing men. And women go to great lengths and spend a lot of time and money on their appearance. It's not because we "want" to, it's because we don't know any different because we were seasoned to act like this from the day we were born. We don't know any different. We don't question it because it's a societal norm. When women couldn't vote, that was considered normal and correct. When blacks were enslaved, that was also normal. This is no different. Women are supposed to be young, thin and beautiful. So when Halloween rolls around, it's yet another opportunity to showcase how attractive we are, and to gain that coveted male approval. We dress ourselves up as sex toys for men, and it's totally conventional.

OK, so tight and little costumes are nothing new. Halloween has always been a time to emphasize a woman's place in society- to be a man's sex toy. And this year the emphasis is getting stronger with....a baby pimp costume.

Hmm. A pimp "finds and manages women (often very young women) who are vulnerable and susceptible, for what ever reason, to extreme manipulation and engages them in prostitution (in brothels and on the streets) in order to profit from their earnings. Typically, a pimp will not force prostitutes to "be with him", although some have been known to be abusive in order to keep their prostitutes submissive or to maximize profits. A pimp may also offer to protect his prostitutes from rival pimps and prostitutes, or from abusive clients. They can also enable a prostitute to work in a particular area under his control. Pimping is illegal in most countries." (Thanks, Wikipedia)

The usual scenario:
Pimps find very young, vulnerable girls, often victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, and offer them companionship, love, and a safe place to go. Once the girl feels safe and wanted with her new "boyfriend," he manipulates her into sleeping with a man for money. He tells her they need the money, and after everything he's done for her she owes him, etc., etc. Soon, the prostitution becomes a regular thing. And it's not like the girl can just walk out and leave. She is now under the pimps control, both physically and emotionally. The pimp beats down her self-esteem so she honestly thinks she's nothing more than a disposable sex object. And the pimp physically beats her, as well as threatens her if she tries to escape. He threatens to come after her and hurt her and/or her family if she runs away. He tells her she will just get thrown in jail because prostitution is illegal. He gets her hooked on drugs so she needs him and can't leave. She is stuck in a life of prostitution, with no feasible way out. And this man who forces her to sleep with numerous strange men per day takes every last penny of what she earns. He provides her with an acceptable wardrobe, enough food to live on, and usually drugs. The pimp sends her out with a quota, and if she doesn't return to him with the right amount of money, she will be beaten, and she will learn her lesson, and she will "work" harder next time.

Yup, that's a pimp. Don't you want your little guy dressing up as one for Halloween?

Item Description-
Our Baby Pimp Costume is too cute for words. This super fly baby pimp suit is great for babies first Halloween photos. For a fun family costume idea consider any of our Pimp outfits for any age.

Nothing spells family fun like beating women and forcing them to sleep with 10 men a day! Gag me.