Growing up, makeup was always a sort of tool I used to enhance my facial features and hide any blemishes I had. It probably wasn’t something I was quite proud of since it was just an acknowledgment of how disgusting my teenage puberty skin was. With a negative mentality towards this concept of makeup, it was never an enjoyment, but rather a constant reminder of the discontentment I had with my appearance. Because of my misconstrued view of makeup application, watching Youtube tutorials was tiresome since I always felt a pressure to perfect my skills. Growing up, makeup was never thought to be pleasant, let alone an expression of art.
Scrolling through social media, however, makeup was something many females began to practice for leisure and entertainment. Today, there are countless makeup gurus amongst online platforms, displaying their personalized ways of applying makeup and teaching their audience how to correctly use specific products. What’s more, the increased viewpoint of makeup as an art form has risen over the years and many are using it as an outlet to express creativity. Now as a college student, makeup is something I’ve come to accept and find joy in doing. Especially now with days spent at home, many are starting to really experience the various products and creating stunning pieces on their faces. On social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and Twitter, you can find countless video tutorials and images showcasing an unforeseen mode of art. Using the face as a canvas and makeup tools as their instrument, many seem to effortlessly produce a mesmerizing piece of art.
Makeup is also a tool used by performers to accentuate stage presence and conveys specific emotions to their audience. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is an all-male ballet company that challenges the traditional conventions of ballet by including cross-dressing males to perform phenomenal classics including Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and La Esmeralda. These dancers must absolutely rely on makeup since it serves as an integral element to their performances and further creates a humorous effect. Here’s a tutorial demonstrating one male dancer applying on the drag-like makeup:
Not only is makeup used as a tool to enhance facial features and create remarkable art, but it also adds comical elements to users’ online content. Scrolling through Tik Tok, I found hilarious videos of girls creating clown faces with makeup to highlight the fact that they had been played or made a foolish mistake. I’ve linked a few Tik Tok below to share the laughter!