What exactly is makeup? How do we define it? And why we should.

Hola Amigas ❤️

We hear it all the time; on television, on the internet, in conversations between friends...people say they use makeup to look and feel more beautiful.

But what exactly is makeup, anyway? How do we define it? And why we should. ‍

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‍According to Oxford.com, makeup is defined as “cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face, used to enhance or alter the appearance”. Que piensas de esta definición? (What do you think about this definition?) Do you agree? (estás de acuerdo?) Because en mi opinión, identifying what makeup means to you should be the number one thing to figure out before deciding on a look and before purchasing products.

The reality is, tu definición de maquillaje puede ser diferente a la mía (your definition of  makeup  might be different than mine). For some women, putting on makeup is as simple as using a concealer to hide dark circles under their eyes. But other women may think of makeup as a multi-step routine, using foundation and blush and eyeshadow and so forth. Some may spend an hour or more on their makeup routine, others may prefer five minutes, or less.

Yo pienso (I think) that makeup can be defined as an individual way of making ourselves FEEL better. When I like how I look, I feel beautiful, I feel good. And that makes me happy. When I’m happy, I can be a better person and even a better mother to my children. When I’m happy, everyone around me benefits. I personally feel my best and most beautiful with a natural makeup look. But what’s beautiful and inspires happiness for one, isn’t always true for someone else. What look makes you feel beautiful? How do you look when you feel happy?

And how do you find the right makeup to bring about that best and happiest version of yourself?

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First and foremost, I truly believe that makeup should not be used to mask who you are. Makeup exists not to change the way you look, but to enhance your inherent beauty and to make you feel better about yourself. I see plenty of articles and read more than enough advice  about how to make your lips look bigger, or how to make your cheeks look narrower, pero porque? The essence of beauty is in self-care. To me, what makes you beautiful is not products or lipsticks. It’s the happiness you find when taking care of yourself. Especially true si tu eres una mama, (if you’re a mom), you’re always putting your family and children first and oftentimes don’t take care of you. Remember that self-care it’s very important and you should always practice it.

So, that is why I always tell my friends that when they’re cultivating their perfect look, they should first think about what makes them feel good. When you're happy, you naturally radiate beauty. Cuando sonríes, you radiate happiness and therefore tu autenticidad.

But oftentimes, I feel Latinas are categorized as one size fits all. But why? As a Latina, I'm tired of feeling the pressure of trying to look a certain way. Because in reality, we are all very different. There are Latinas that are very light skinned and there are those of us who have very dark skin. We are all unique, so I don’t believe in everyone following the exact same makeup rules. Celebrating our differences is super important and that’s why I think it’s key to discuss and define our unique selves and what makes us uniquely happy.

Accept and love yourself the way you are, with all your glorious imperfections and your spectacular allure, and don’t try to change the way you look. Instead, define what makes you feel good and work only to enhance your inherent beauty. Because the true definition of makeup should be “an artistic and expressive way to showcase your unique and already-beautiful self which creates great feelings of happiness.”

Enjoy this video by HeyVivala for more on the topic:

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With Love,

-Perla