To My Son: Why Do I Wear Makeup?

Why do I wear makeup? It's a loaded question, for any girl really, as I'd imagine.


However, that is the question posed to me by my 7 year old, as we cuddle for a few minutes before bedtime. He said he wanted to talk. His brother and Dad were both downstairs, so it was just him and me. He said it like this, "Why makeup Mom? Like, why is it important? Why do you HAVE to wear it?


I laughed a little bit and said,
Well, I don't HAVE to wear it, but I like it! 
My son is smart, and he knows there was more to it then that.


So, again, "But why is it important? Why makeup?" 


I went on to tell him that people use makeup for different things. The way he knows of most, is that his favorite wrestlers use makeup sometimes as part of their costume, to become their character. He replied that yes, he understood because they were performing.


But, I am not performing, to him I am just his mom.


He then tells me,
"Well, I'm gonna say...I think you look just as pretty without makeup". 

My heart melted.


We didn't talk about it again, I gave him a kiss and hug, tucked him into bed and that was the end of it, for now. Yet, I've been thinking about his question all day long!

So...this letter is to you my sweet boy. I doubt I'll be able to sit here and type it without crying. Nevertheless, I'm going to write it. It's something that you may not fully understand til you are a bit older, but still, I'm going to write it.

My beautiful brown eyed boy,

I think it's a beautiful thing that you told me that I looked pretty with or without makeup! You are such a sweet and kind little boy. I am glad to know that your father and I are raising you right.

My gut answer to your question was true, I do LIKE makeup! I enjoy it a LOT! However, the reasons I like and use makeup do go much deeper. It is this way for many women and girls, sometimes boys.

Here are a few reasons makeup is "IMPORTANT"

#1. Bonding. Makeup is sometimes,  something we learned from mom or another important person in our life. Makeup can be a bonding experience with someone.

#2. Insecurities. We don't like how our skin looks or how our brows or eyelashes look. Makeup is a tool that girls (and sometimes boys!) can use to help hide blemishes and things about our features that we don't like. This leads to more confidence and can make us feel empowered! (Like a Superhero!)

#3. Confidence! Some girls wear makeup because they are already confident! We can use makeup to highlight our best features. To make our eyes stand out. To make our lips stand out. To make our skin glow even more that it already does! In this case makeup is like a showcase for a persons best features!

#4. Creativity! Wearing makeup can be creative!  Makeup is a form of art! Instead of a paper or canvas, we can use makeup to "paint" our faces in creative ways. This can be a form of expression, just like painting a picture or singing a song. "Playing" with and using makeup lets us experiment with color, shapes and shadows. 

In answer to your question, Mom loves and uses makeup for ALL of these reasons! 

One day, when you meet someone that you like, she may or may not wear makeup. I want you to tell her though, exactly what you told me, that with or without it, she is pretty! 
I hope you meet someone who is confident. Someone who doesn't feel like she "needs" makeup but uses it for the other reasons I listed. However, if you meet somone who does wear makeup because they want to feel more confident, make sure to always be kind. 
My wish for all girls and boys is that they see their inner beauty as the thing that is the most important, because no matter how hard we try, makeup cannot help or cover up a mean personality! 

So, here are just 4 Rules to navigate the world of makeup:

#1. Never make fun of someone, or give them a hard time about wearing
"too much" makeup. Doing makeup takes time, skill and energy. (You know how long it takes Mom to do her makeup!) So, if she takes the time to do her makeup, tell her she looks beautiful!

#2. When she is NOT wearing makeup, tell her she's beautiful! Remember, one of the reasons people wear makeup is to hide things they don't like. They might not want to believe you, but insist that they look beautiful without the makeup!

#3. Always make it HER decision to wear or not wear makeup. Even if she asks, DO NOT try and tell her when she should or should not wear makeup, or how much makeup.  If she wants to wear it, she will. If not, she wont. Be OK with that my son. 😊

#4. Telling any woman/girl exactly what you told me, over and over again...will earn you brownie points for life!
However, be sincere in knowing that each person is beautiful, whether they choose to wear makeup or not. 



I love you so much my beautiful boy!

-Mom



















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