You do you

I haven't posted in a long while, not because I haven't had anything to write about, but because I haven't taken the time to organize my thoughts, take pictures, and research links in order to write something that I find to be cohesive and generally not embarrassing. Also this year the political circus has been particularly crazy and divisive and I don't want to throw my hat in that ring here. But I've been bothered by something other than politics and the general state of the world lately that I feel the need to be a little ranty about, and a thought dump is something I can do relatively easily.

I love makeup - I think that's been well established here. I love reading about makeup, watching makeup tutorial videos, and trying new products. Sitting in down to do my makeup is literally one of my happy places - it helps ground me and prepare for the day ahead. I love pretty much anything that can be found in a beauty supply store, and am always down to help anyone go beauty shopping. Getting complimented on my nail polish will literally make my day.

All that said, I know that a lot of people do not share this love with me. They find makeup to be a waste of time and/or money, and applying makeup stressful instead of joyful. I get it - we don't all share the same loves. But what I HATE is when these people tell me that my love of makeup is silly.

There are few things that rile me up quite as much as people who throw out insults disguised as compliments then don't own their shadiness. You know, the "you look nice, it must have taken you forever to get ready" kind of comments. I honestly don't care if it took you 5 minutes or 5 hours to do your hair, all I'm going to say is that you look good. And if I'm not a fan of your look, I'm just keeping my mouth shut.

Why do people who don't wear makeup feel the need to criticize people who do? You know the "you would look prettier without makeup" or "I don't know why you spend so much time on that stuff" babble. Why is that OK? I don't criticize anyone for not wearing makeup, nor would I pressure someone to wear it either. You do you I say.

I don't think I need makeup to make me feel pretty or as a mask to hide the real me. I enjoy the artistry, colors, textures and the rituals...the pretty/shininess of it all. If I'm being honest yes, I do want to hide my undereye circles so that I don't look sleep deprived all the time, but it's not a crutch or something to hide my insecurities. You might not feel the same way, maybe the thought of putting on makeup just makes you break out in hives, but why feel the need to cut me down because I do? Why do some women feel the need to be mean girls well past middle age? Why do men assume that women wear makeup to try to entice them?

All of us have things we love that we probably spend too much time/money doing because we enjoy them. Maybe for you it's crafting. Or playing fantasy sports. Or buying shoes. Maybe it's writing fan fiction. Maybe it's building model replicas. I think it's OK if others don't understand your fervor for a particular activity - if we all loved the same things, the world would be very boring. But why belittle someone for their passions? Why is whatever you love to spend your time doing more valid than anyone else's? There is so much ugliness in the world, why not just let people enjoy things they see beauty in?

Look, I know I'm guilty of tuning out when someone goes into a monologue about the cultural impact of Star Trek v. Star Wars, and I definitely roll my eyes when people start talking about NFC stats, but I don't belittle them because of their interests. My love of makeup is no less frivolous than your obsession with men chasing around a ball professionally, or your need to decorate a room a certain way. So how about you do you and let me be, and maybe those small things can just add some much needed sparkle to everyone's lives.