Finally a 'selfie' trend I want to get behind! In an increasingly narcissistic world (the Chainsmokers even made a spoof music video about it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdemFfbS5H0) encouraged by the likes of the Kardashians (and Jenners), it's so refreshing to finally see selfies which back two fantastic causes: cancer awareness and the freedom to feel comfortable in our own skin (#nopunintended), under the hashtag 'nomakeupselfie'!
(For the record, I don't ordinarily like selfies. I don't like the narcissism associated with them. I have, in the past, grudgingly obliged to being in group selfies because the attention isn't on me (plus, I kind of look like a spoil sport if I don't - after all, it's just a picture, right?) but I have never, barring the no makeup selfie, taken a pouting/sad/sticking my tongue out/blowing a kiss to the camera picture).
The best part? Cancer Research didn't even create the campaign! The origins of the nomakeupselfie can be traced back to a tweet by novelist Laura Lippman who tweeted a no make up picture of herself in response to 81-year-old actor Kim Novak who appeared at the Oscars with more makeup than her face could comfortably hold - of course, she was slated by critics and so Ms Lippman, in a show of solidarity with Ms Novak, argued that if women saw more pictures of other women going au naturel, it would take the pressure off to have so much work done. This then, somehow, turned into one of the biggest viral trends (raising over £8m for Cancer Research) on social media across the world.
Of course, some might argue that women put pictures up of themselves with no make up so that other women could tell them how beautiful they looked despite not wearing any slap. Or, that by putting up these selfies, women are trying to say that not wearing make up could be seen as brave as battling cancer - which is ridiculous and so NOT the point of the whole exercise! The way I see it, I certainly have seen an influx of so many beautiful women - women who don't need layers of make up to look and feel good - in my social media feeds, and a lot of money has been raised for a very good cause.
However, our natural, oh-so-British tendency to self deprecate has meant I've seen posts like, "Here's my #nomakeupselfie - please don't laugh!" and, "Can't believe I'm putting this up but all for a good cause!" which makes me sad, because every single picture I've seen is beautiful.
We are all naturally beautiful. Make up is supposed to enhance looks, not hide them, but so often girls and women wear so much of it, that it becomes a refreshing change when they don't (or wear less of it than usual) and you can see their natural beauty shine through. Whether this is from societal pressure or a personal, ingrained sense of insecurity us women have to look 'perfect' all the time, I don't know. All I know is, I personally love this 'campaign', whether it was contrived or not. I think women should be given the choice of whether to wear make up or not, and this choice should be freely made, without prejudices (see my blog post entitled 'Choice Without Prejudice?') or judgements on the part of others who believe women should look, behave or just be a certain way. I rarely wear make up and I often have women saying, "wow, that's brave, I would never step out of the house without my base/eyeliner/mascara/blusher/the whole whack."
I don't think it's brave. I think it's just me. As a dancer, I have to wear so much makeup for shows etc. that it's nice every once in a while to not have anything on, to let skin breathe. I don't think I've ever seen my mother or grandmothers leave the house with make up on and I guess it's just the way it's always been. But then I guess, back then, there was less pressure to look 'good' all the time - only movie stars and 'rich people' could afford such a 'luxury'. Now, with cosmetics so readily available and young girls and women being bombarded with images of 'perfect' looking celebrities (and Kim Kardashian declaring she loves make up so much she doesn't recognise herself without it), it's no wonder that a 'campaign' like #nomakeupselfie needs to be started to make women realise they really don't need to hide under a ton of make up to look beautiful. Hopefully, one day, there will come a time when we don't need such a campaign. I am by no means saying that women shouldn't wear makeup just to make a point or to prove anything to anyone. I just think that choice should be made free of judgement or pressure - the pressure to look 'perfect' or the pressure to prove something to society or to themselves.
(For the record, I don't ordinarily like selfies. I don't like the narcissism associated with them. I have, in the past, grudgingly obliged to being in group selfies because the attention isn't on me (plus, I kind of look like a spoil sport if I don't - after all, it's just a picture, right?) but I have never, barring the no makeup selfie, taken a pouting/sad/sticking my tongue out/blowing a kiss to the camera picture).
The best part? Cancer Research didn't even create the campaign! The origins of the nomakeupselfie can be traced back to a tweet by novelist Laura Lippman who tweeted a no make up picture of herself in response to 81-year-old actor Kim Novak who appeared at the Oscars with more makeup than her face could comfortably hold - of course, she was slated by critics and so Ms Lippman, in a show of solidarity with Ms Novak, argued that if women saw more pictures of other women going au naturel, it would take the pressure off to have so much work done. This then, somehow, turned into one of the biggest viral trends (raising over £8m for Cancer Research) on social media across the world.
Of course, some might argue that women put pictures up of themselves with no make up so that other women could tell them how beautiful they looked despite not wearing any slap. Or, that by putting up these selfies, women are trying to say that not wearing make up could be seen as brave as battling cancer - which is ridiculous and so NOT the point of the whole exercise! The way I see it, I certainly have seen an influx of so many beautiful women - women who don't need layers of make up to look and feel good - in my social media feeds, and a lot of money has been raised for a very good cause.
However, our natural, oh-so-British tendency to self deprecate has meant I've seen posts like, "Here's my #nomakeupselfie - please don't laugh!" and, "Can't believe I'm putting this up but all for a good cause!" which makes me sad, because every single picture I've seen is beautiful.
We are all naturally beautiful. Make up is supposed to enhance looks, not hide them, but so often girls and women wear so much of it, that it becomes a refreshing change when they don't (or wear less of it than usual) and you can see their natural beauty shine through. Whether this is from societal pressure or a personal, ingrained sense of insecurity us women have to look 'perfect' all the time, I don't know. All I know is, I personally love this 'campaign', whether it was contrived or not. I think women should be given the choice of whether to wear make up or not, and this choice should be freely made, without prejudices (see my blog post entitled 'Choice Without Prejudice?') or judgements on the part of others who believe women should look, behave or just be a certain way. I rarely wear make up and I often have women saying, "wow, that's brave, I would never step out of the house without my base/eyeliner/mascara/blusher/the whole whack."
I don't think it's brave. I think it's just me. As a dancer, I have to wear so much makeup for shows etc. that it's nice every once in a while to not have anything on, to let skin breathe. I don't think I've ever seen my mother or grandmothers leave the house with make up on and I guess it's just the way it's always been. But then I guess, back then, there was less pressure to look 'good' all the time - only movie stars and 'rich people' could afford such a 'luxury'. Now, with cosmetics so readily available and young girls and women being bombarded with images of 'perfect' looking celebrities (and Kim Kardashian declaring she loves make up so much she doesn't recognise herself without it), it's no wonder that a 'campaign' like #nomakeupselfie needs to be started to make women realise they really don't need to hide under a ton of make up to look beautiful. Hopefully, one day, there will come a time when we don't need such a campaign. I am by no means saying that women shouldn't wear makeup just to make a point or to prove anything to anyone. I just think that choice should be made free of judgement or pressure - the pressure to look 'perfect' or the pressure to prove something to society or to themselves.
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