How to Handle "Makeup Shaming"

What exactly is "makeup shaming"?

Makeup shaming is basically a form of bullying where women are ridiculed and criticized for wearing makeup, or for wearing more makeup than others feel they should. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but it crosses the line once bullying becomes involved. There are photos of women that are posted in online groups for the sole purpose of roasting them because of the makeup they're wearing. Then there are people who comment on makeup tutorials telling the video creator how ugly or fake they look with makeup on. And then, of course, there are men who ridicule women for not sporting the natural beauty that they desire a woman to have.

Makeup shaming is a widely accepted form of bullying because it's disguised as love and admiration for natural beauty. As good as that may sound, the truth of the matter is when you're making fun of the way someone looks, the fact that their look isn't natural may be relevant to you, but it's irrelevant to the person on the receiving end of the ridicule. At the end of the day, you are making them feel bad about their looks, whether it's natural or not. Keep this in mind before you makeup shame others. If you happen to be on the receiving end of makeup shaming, here are a few steps you can take to make it stop...

Start utilizing the block button. I know some of you may not want to block people on social media because you don’t want to appear bothered, but if you really are bothered, you should block them. It makes no sense to allow them to take jabs at you simply because they don’t like your choice of self-expression. If they don’t like it, they actually should be blocking you. But we all know bullies will never do that, so it’s up to you to block them.

Have you ever considered giving out beauty tips? Secretly, some people who are beauty shaming you have a desire to look more like you themselves. Maybe they don’t know much about makeup or how to use it, but you are the perfect candidate to show them. You may find that once they begin learning how to beautify themselves, they don’t feel the need to shame you anymore. Fill them in on a few beauty tricks. A few of those haters may turn to friends.

Keep expressing yourself the way you want. Unless your look is going against company policy or your school’s dress code, wear your makeup the way you want, despite what others are saying. That’s easier said than done, but it’s better to be different, set trends and stand out than to blend in with everyone else. Try to find friends in real life and on social media that love to look pretty just like you so that you all can support each other and share beauty tips amongst yourselves.