Some of Us Are Fed Up With Make-Up

Considering our masks cover half of our faces, is it still worth putting on a full face of make-up every day to feel satisfied? Photo Credit/ Pexels

Angelisse Alvarez

Staff Writer

Before the pandemic, makeup was part of my daily routine. It used to be a hobby, and I was known as the makeup enthusiast among friends and family.

But during quarantine in 2020, I didn’t touch my makeup for a while. As restrictions lifted, I still wasn’t gravitating towards it.

I remember makeup companies were advertising their products for use underneath masks. This made me uncomfortable, because it was clearly a relentless act of preying on insecurities since nobody sees makeup below the top half of your face.

When I saw companies doing that, I drifted away even further. Of course, makeup companies always did this pre-pandemic.

Even as a consistent makeup user, I understood that while I loved (and still love) the creative element of makeup, it was important to stay afloat the more predatory side of the beauty industry to prevent some of its advertising from getting to me. 

Now, here we are – still in an ongoing pandemic and still wearing masks, though not under a nationwide quarantine. So, what does my relationship with makeup look like now? 

My collection has narrowed down by a lot. I’m more cautious about new releases. New releases have underwhelmed me lately, and I’m content with the stuff I own. I won’t get new products until mine are used or expired. 

Months ago, I was going through my collection and some products I owned pre-pandemic had me scratching my head. I kept wondering, “Why did I even buy this? Why did I think I would ever use this?” 

I have to be certain I will get use out of any new products, because I hate wasting money. I’m a lot more resilient towards advertising. 

The energy and motivation to spend time doing makeup like I used to is just not in me. Others might find comfort or distraction through it, which I understand. I ditched foundation entirely and haven’t worn it in two years. Half of my face isn’t visible, so there’s no use in it for me.

Concealer rarely gets used. I don’t care if people can see that the skin beneath my eyes is not completely smooth and blurred. It’s just skin behaving like skin. 

I still adore eyeshadow! I can’t resist romantic colors and a sparkle on the lids. Winged eyeliner is forever sexy and fun. A pop of blush always lifts my spirits. 

The pandemic has just made me care less about how my face is perceived. Plus, I still avoid events with many people present. Small, private get-togethers with fully vaccinated people are much preferred. 

During those get-togethers, I still love to rock a bold red lip. Red continues to be my all-time favorite color of lipstick. 

I just don’t feel an obligation to use makeup daily anymore, and my approach to it now aligns more practically with my life. I don’t feel embarrassed about skin texture or acne. I don’t feel weird about my pores. Again, my skin behaves like skin. 

I’m just grateful that as of today, I am alive during this pandemic. Its caused so many of us to reassess what we do on a daily basis. 

When I want to have a bit of fun, I use it. My collection suits me and I’m not tempted to expand it with anything that I won’t use because of trends. I don’t experience a fear of missing out anymore. 

Makeup isn’t part of my everyday routine at this time. I still enjoy it as a creative tool and treasure my collection. But seeing that the pandemic is ongoing, I will likely continue not using makeup religiously.

Email Angelisse at:

aalvarez4@live.esu.edu