Makeup Free Mondays: Is Less Really More?
As more and more celebrities go makeup-free and regular gals follow suit thanks to a “Makeup Free Mondays” movement initiated by The Beauty Bean, we’re left wondering: What would Max Factor say? After all, Max Factor Jr. and Sr. are credited with (among other things) revolutionizing make-up for cinema, the invention of lip gloss, and the term “make-up” itself.
As Factor, Jr. once put it: “A woman who doesn’t wear lipstick feels undressed in public. Unless she works on a farm.”
Ouch. But of course, based on these classic ads featured on the New Yorker’s website, Max Factor would likely argue that the allure of makeup—and a pouty, come-hither lip—is its ability to attract, and eventually ensnare, your dream mate.
Any modern men out there want to chime in?
Which brings to mind a story told by a (single) southern friend of mine, whose mother recently declared the reason why she and her friends were yet to marry was…lipstick.
“You girls don’t wear lipstick,” she proclaimed. When her daughter informed her that, in fact, she did wear lipstick her mother still shook her head. “Yes,” she conceded. “But do you reapply?”
Boldly and admirably, Kathie Lee and Hoda went makeup-free last week and declared it a big success—with Hoda saying today she was stopped in an airport over the weekend by a fan who’d tossed the gloss thanks to her. Yet, once was enough for Kathie Lee, who announced this morning on Today’s fourth hour that “I don’t want to be empowered that much…any more.”
Agreed. If there’s a place for makeup, it’s in HD and on the big screen—which is why Max Factor’s career catapulted in the first place and earned him a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
That being said, I love that this “movement” is encouraging inner beauty, liberation, and inspiration. God knows we should not feel pressured to paint our faces to feel good about ourselves, and swimsuit models Brooklyn Decker and Julie Henderson have also just jumped on board. (But where are the No Makeup Monday pics, ladies?).
Have no fear, if you’re wary of relinquishing your lip gloss and concealer: Based on shots tweeted to the movement’s champion, The Beauty Bean, even non-supermodels can look gorgeous without makeup.
The site also encourages women to donate their unused, unopened makeup to local women’s empowerment charities such as Dress for Success. So while you’re saving time and money (let’s face it, slapping down a cool $14 for 0.1 oz of lipstick, like I did recently, is not exactly recession-friendly), you can also help others who may need that extra polish of confidence for a job interview.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Styleite’s own Verena von Pfetten, who declared, way back in 2008, that “less is the new more” when it comes to makeup. Her words of wisdom:
“Pick your products, and use them wisely. Some rules:
A few soft coats of mascara and a light concealer are all you need. I’ll allow blush, because we all love a little color, but I categorically oppose foundation. Trust me. And if you’re desperate for coverage, try a tinted-moisturizer. Stay far, far away from the powders. They don’t work on anyone.
My final rule? Lipstick is always in, provided you use it right. If you’re going to wear it, go all out; there’s nothing I love more than a bright, splashy color on a refreshingly neutral face.”
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