I’m sure you’re not stranger to Colbie Caillat’s new song, Try, and the video that has been shared across my own, personal Facebook page over a dozen times. If you haven’t heard it, it’s a song about not needing to wear makeup, be thin, or do any of the other things that adhere to the (often unrealistic) beauty standards of our present society. Colbie Caillat wants you to take off your makeup and let down your hair.
I’m not not a fan of this message, but I also don’t wholeheartedly endorse it, either. Before you reach for your pitchforks or eyelash curlers, just hear me out.
There is nothing more true than the importance of liking oneself.
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Nothing.
Whether you’re covered in makeup and wearing Spanx or barefaced and letting it all hang out, if you don’t feel good about yourself then nothing else matters. And while we’ve become a society that shames women for having womanly shapes, we’re rapidly becoming a society that attacks women who are slim (by nature or through hard work) or choose to prioritize their physical appearance. Two wrongs don’t make a right, you guys.
I regularly skip makeup. At least once during my workweek and for most weekends, I am one hundred percent makeup-free, not because I feel like a slave to my makeup but because I like to give my skin a chance to breathe and also because I’m just as comfortable with or without makeup. But I actually love doing my makeup, styling my hair and wearing high heels. And that’s OK. I am living proof that the right pair of shoes and a great lipstick can change your life, because those are the things that helped me build confidence and become the person writing this post today. I will not apologize for that.
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Since when does wearing makeup or working out to stay thin mean that you don’t like yourself? Why can’t I wear heels and have blonde hair and not be an airhead? Caillat’s message that we’re more than our makeup is getting lost in the idea that women who choose to wear makeup and care about their appearances have lost themselves in trying to keep up with the Joneses.
If the thing that makes you feel good is putting on some lipstick or it’s boogying in your pajamas, do it. You’re more than either of those actions. If you feel your best with a full face of makeup, wear it with pride. And if you’d rather go au naturel seven days a week, then all the power to you, girl. Let’s start celebrating women doing whatever it is that makes them feel good.
Colbie Caillat is right: You don't have to try, but you can if you want to.
If you liked this post, you might also like my post on why size tags are bullshit... and speaking of sizetags, have you seen the latest in vanity sizing? Thank goodness for kickstarters like this one and this one making sure women feel proud at any size.
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