Here Is The Truth About Makeup

Makeup is solely available to sell you an “ideal” famously the founder of Revlon claimed, “I’m not selling you lipstick I’m selling you dreams”.

Makeup is an artistic tool to create a hyperreality of ourselves and see… this hyperreality when used artistically can be so beautiful but, when used as a tool of emotional oppression, it can have huge negative effects ensuring a detachment occurs in which our real self and our hyperreal self are incompatible isolated entities.

Through social media, we are creating a world in which our online ‘self’ is the norm a ‘ beat face’ is the archetypal standard and those who are not following this trend are outside of the box, feminists or ‘brave’ women.

In all truth, when I posted ‘I am Not Pretty’, I knew most girls had insecurities or flaws, but I didn’t know the depth of females insecurities. A lot of you replied to my post and discussed your difficulty in learning to love yourself.

However, what made me sad, was the fact that nobody talked about overcoming this or finding a solution…this was worrying.

So, I thought about it, I decided to challenge myself.

For one month I wore minimal or no makeup, I only used natural filters on Snapchat and Instagram and I focused on using self-affirmations everyday.

What Did I Find? 

I found that on the days I stopped wearing makeup I felt courageous, empowered and free.

I felt like the people who interacted with me were engaging with Kemi, they were being introduced to a Kemi that had flaws, hyperpigmentation and uneven features, a Kemi that was far from perfect but was worth so much. I wasn’t hidden, I wasn’t covered up, and I wasn’t diving into my hyperreal ‘comfort zone’.

Honestly, it felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff feeling scared to look down, but feeling free and astonished by the view in front of me. 

But then there were days I would wear makeup, and those feelings were gone. I felt as if I was wearing a mask. Knowing how I felt not wearing makeup, I felt trapped with makeup on.

Throughout that month, I struggled floating between the real and hyper-real world of my self-beauty. I was constantly empowered yet confused oppressed yet freed.

At the end of the month, I was… CONFUSED! I literally had no clue on my self-beauty.

BUT something clicked…like literally I clicked on a video on YouTube (MaryJaneByram) then, I clicked on more videos on the beauty industry, I watched documentaries, I read health articles, I looked at other self-beauty blogs.

And I learned the truth…Makeup could not be part of my self-beauty journey. Makeup for me has been a comfort blanket in which I could hide the reality of KEMI, and in all truth, I didn’t want that blanket anymore! I want to be EXPOSED!

I want to look at myself every day and be able to stare at the reality of my beauty. And be content that my beauty is perfect with all its flaws!

I want this self to be the face people see every single day and I want this ‘self’ to be a reminder that natural beauty is REAL beauty, it’s not unfinished or unpolished or embarrassing!

So, I decided to stop wearing makeup…totally.

I know, I know extreme, but I believe this #barefaced journey is one in which I can not only find and explore my beauty, but understand so much more about my ‘bare self’.

Ladies, you are all beautiful! Fearfully and wonderfully made!