My Makeup

A Story by Emma

An anonymous letter from a girl talking about how her family judges her for wearing her makeup at such a young age.

To you,

Im a 12 year old girl, i wear makeup. you may be asking, why where makeup at such a young age. My family is continuously asking me the same thing. Judging me for buying makeup. Always telling me that i don't need it. Well let me tell you why i wear makeup.

I wouldn't say that i wear a ton of makeup. A really full face of makeup could consist of many different things for many different people. It could be foundation, colour correctors, concealers, press powers, contour and 2 different kinds of highlight, bronzer, blush, eyebrows, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, loose setting powders, lip liners and lipsticks. A lot right? Well out of those 16 different products i wear 6. Concealer, pressed powder, bronzer, blush, mascara, and a tiny bit of eyeshadow. Now i know you probably think, why does this matter? This is to show you that the makeup i wear, isn't a lot. And, Its what i feel comfortable in that matters.

So now lets actually get into the reason i wear makeup. I don't wear makeup because i have a low self esteem. I don't wear makeup so boys think I'm prettier. I wear makeup because i like it. I find it fun to take 10 to 15 minutes out of you day to put powders and concealers on your face. And another thing that i would like to make clear. I like to wear makeup but i am also interested in special effects makeup and costume makeup. Its not just everyday looks that i like. Today i was talking about things that i would like as birthday presents. The makeup products that were on my list were the Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer, the Kylie Jenner Birthday collection of matte liquid lipsticks and a Morphe eyeshadow palette. I told my mom that the only one i would use daily is the bronzer but i would like to play around and do different looks with the eyeshadow and lipstick. Then she used that tone. You know the tone where shes not yelling but she starting to get angry. That tone. And she said. "You are turning 13. You don't need all that makeup." This is what i wanted to say back to her.

I know i don't need all that makeup. I look perfectly fine without makeup and a lot of the time i go to school and to the store and to dance without makeup on. I love how i look and if i wanted to change it i would get plastic surgery and Botox. Makeup is something that i find fun. Makeup is a way to express myself. My face is my canvas. My makeup is my art. When I'm grown up and i see myself in a job, i don't only see myself as a surgeon or a paramedic or a florist. I can see myself as a makeup artist or starting my own makeup company. Or maybe even making money by doing makeup tutorials on youtube. This isn't just something that i try for a bit and then throw in the garbage. Im actually thinking about doing this as a career. And another thing that makeup helps me with is that its a distraction when everything in the world gets to much for me to handle. My face doesn't need all the makeup i put on it. But i do.

Sincerely anonymous