Make up tips; See the real you.

Well, I got you here under false pretences, or did I?  For as I get older I begin to look at younger women today and the makeup they wear, I think to myself, oh my, that's a lot of makeup.  So what lies behind, Is makeup really a "false pretence"?  Now, I am using 'make up' as a metaphor, for the way we as individuals hide behind a façade.  Men and women for centuries have been using, an altered appearance to hide the real them, whether it is make-up, hairstyles, spectacles, clothing styles/fashions, the type of car they drive, the house they live in, the locations of their homes, or schools the children attend.  I propose it's all false news.  Well for the many it is. 

Don't get me wrong, there is no issue with trying to achieve material success, making lifestyle improvements, or providing the best one can for the family.  However, the issue is, are these a mask, the 'make-up' for our own insecurities and sense of inadequacy etc.  All too often we hear of parents, pushing children, and working stupid hours, so that, "they can have what I didn't!" Really?  So by providing "what I didn't have", are you saying your parents failed you? No? well then, why or who are you providing for?  

Maybe a question to be asked is, "Why do I feel the need to provide these things?"  Is there, some inner sense of inadequacy, inferiority, and insecurity that drives oneself to better, and bigger things.  Is the need to provide the best school, nicer house in the right location, a great car, luxury holidays, designer/expensive clothing etc., all, really an expression of an inner, possibly subconscious, need to prove to self, that you are adequate, valued, you are better than 'they' said, you have the ability to be secure and provide security.  However, are these 'make-up' things, material achievements, and possessions, hiding the intrinsic need to be valued, recognised, and loved?

So makeup, is it simply a fashion trend, a need to enhance what god gave you, a combination of both, or a more psychological need to hide self.   In all honesty, I believe it is multifactorial, a combination of all.  That is, many men and women throughout the centuries have worn makeup for a multitude of reasons, all valid in their own way, even today the makeup/beauty industry, for both the male and female market, is a multibillion-pound machine.  Therefore, going back to my original statement about those with what I would call, excessive makeup (we may have seen the programme, snog, marry, avoid on television), more than fashion, but rather a mask, for many, it is.  The physical appearance is so idolised these days, in modern Western society, people keep whitening their teeth, filling their faces with toxic injections, adding implants, sculpturing every part of the natural body, and wearing makeup to the point they are not recognised without it (often seen in paparazzi pics of celebs etc.), the statement clothing, and don't forget photo filters.  

 

The physical appearance, achievement, cars, clothes etc., these are all transient, but the mind isn't. In other words, adorn yourselves with fineries etc, but are you still insecure, do you still worry every day, about what others will think, do you hold your head high because of Who you are, or rather What you are? Will who you are survive a financial crash, will who you are survive a sudden trend for no makeup, or being caught in a severe downpour of rain, will who you are survive unemployment, loss of status, loss of a nice home and car?

I do believe in this world of social media, where even war-torn Syria has people posting on Instagram, a mobile phone can be bought in many parts of the poorest nations, where a person gets paid for being an "influencer" because they have 10k+ followers on their posts about makeup/fashion, gaming etc., The superficial, transient nature of these things has clouded the reality of people's lives.  Please don't get me wrong, in themselves, all of these things are not bad, after all, social media has helped raise issues around Mental Health Awareness, domestic abuse, Colonel Tom, and his 100 walks, etc.,  But, it becomes a problem when these are seen as signs of success, a reflection of reality in life, a life goal, a mission beyond that of holistic wellbeing.  

The mind's achievement, that sense of recognition, value, security, and acceptance is much more.  It comes from good, strong, honest relationships, from knowing who You are, from understanding where you have come from, and where you can go, loving ourselves, faults and all, and this will require forgiving self.  That strength of mind comes from, healthy relationships, not toxic ones, but from honest self-reflection, seeking support to build from the past, to have honest, open interactions, and leaving the mask behind, just to name a few pointers.

Finally, the mask of 'makeup', again in reference to anything that may hide something of us, can obscure, or be used to obscure that deep inner connection, that desire to be connected, in a relationship with someone else outside ourselves, many will call that missing gap, the hole in their lives.  For many celebrities they have almost everything they could desire, looks, money, status, fame, etc etc, yet they find a spirituality to fill that void, that which is beyond physical possessions, physical health, and psychological or mental well-being.  So if they have that need, why shouldn't we who desire what they have, also consider spiritual wellbeing an essential goal to achieve.  The makeup of life is transient, but the spirit lives on.  What will we build in our lives, or even build our lives on. Will it be the layers, of makeup, fashion, money status, follower numbers etc.. or will we build constructive healthy relationships, focus on our mental health awareness and our own wellbeing strategies, and seek to develop our spirituality.

Remove the mask, take off the makeup, Be, Think, Evolve, Live.  Don't be afraid to Discuss Life.