Why I still wear makeup every day — even though I'm staying at home
It took a pandemic for me to understand just how little we know about why women wear makeup. The idea that we’re insecure when we wear a face full of makeup has been bored into me for years — by boyfriends, by progressive friends and by the many people who believe that women get glammed up to impress others. I always felt that this was wrong but couldn’t articulate why exactly.
And then the coronavirus outbreak occurred, and I still put on makeup. For the last six weeks of quarantine, I have not seen anyone besides family. But I haven’t skipped a day of eyeliner. I still put on blush and two coats of mascara before pulling out my laptop and starting my day as a journalist working remotely.
There is every reason to take things easy and forget about makeup. Friends are doing it, celebs are doing it and, save for the odd Zoom socializer, there is no one there to see you either way. Who cares what you look like when you’re stuck at home? But that’s the thing. I care and I still choose to wear it. I may not leave the house for more than a quick walk, but I will put on perfume just like I did when, pre-pandemic, I was writing in coffee shops and milling around crowded restaurants with friends.
During challenging times, makeup can be the ultimate form of self-love. To me, it means believing I am worth the effort, even and perhaps especially if no one sees it. It distracts and it brings a small bit of joy when worries about illness threaten to overwhelm. But above all, makeup is about control when it feels as though life is careening into some uncontrollable and terrible direction.
I can’t make the coronavirus go away but I can do a cat eye and feel at least a little better. So, here’s five days of different makeup looks I’ve worn while in quarantine.
Monday
This is my usual quarantine makeup and what I wear to feel pulled-together even on the most unmotivated and monotonous of days. I am posing a little for the selfie but the idea is to look normal. The products in this look — Clinique Chubby in the Nude Foundation Stick, Kiehl’s lip gloss, drugstore eyeliner and Lancôme Définicils Mascara — are ones I use every day. I did experiment with some different lip stains and settled on the Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink in Revolutionary. Finishing touch: the very fancy springtime Guerlain Chant d'Aromes Guerlain perfume that my mother gave me as a present a few months ago. She’s the one who taught me to always wear perfume no matter who will or will not smell it.
Tuesday
I may wear makeup every day but that doesn’t mean I’m perfect — certain things are too much effort even for a beauty junkie like me. I’ve been letting my eyebrows grow out and not defining them daily like I did when I still had places to get to. On Tuesday, I dug out my trusty Estée Lauder Brow Now All-In-One Brow Kit in Dark Brunette and reminisced for pre-quarantine times of defined brows. I also experimented with the same Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink in Dreamer. I loved the pink color in the tube but, upon seeing the result, I started to second-guess whether it’s too light to go with the dramatic eye makeup. But that’s the thing about quarantine: you can make makeup mistakes without feeling pressured to look “nice.”
Wednesday
Wednesday is nail day! Over the last year, I have gotten into the habit of springing for gel nail manicures every four or five weeks. During quarantine, I make do with having short nails and found some long-lost bottles from OPI’s Venice nail polish collection. I am an artist with both paint and a canvas. This means a deep red base and white specks that I carefully dab on with the edge of a toothpick. When it comes to my face, I am practicing the cat-eye look that I used to avoid due to shaky hands and a fear of liquid eyeliner. Now is the perfect time to get better, but I still do not feel particularly confident in my skills.
Thursday
Pre-pandemic, I alternated between wearing contacts and glasses — I like oversize frames that give me a bookish look. When there’s nowhere to go, I prefer to give my eyes a rest and wear glasses more often. Perfect opportunity to play around with makeup meant to pop under some specs. I blend a beige and brown eyeshadow from my December birthday present to myself, Chanel’s Les Beiges Holiday palette, and Google how to do a cat eye. My hand is still shaky with the liquid eyeliner brush (Revlon Colorstay Brow Pencil in Black Brown) but I think I’m getting better. The magenta lip stain is just for fun. I wish I had matching lip liner to give it sharper edges.
Friday
A work week of wearing makeup has flown by and I want to top it off by doing something a little more special. I Google bright eyeshadow ideas and come across a “mermaid” look I particularly like in this list of eye makeup tutorials. Using an old palette, I recreate a gold base that shifts into turquoise on the corners of my eyelids. During quarantine, I have also started watching video tutorials for new ways to braid or otherwise style my hair, which is the longest it’s been since high school. A small, side Dutch braid and a dab of shimmer lipstick complete the look. All this effort and only a “You still bother with makeup?” during that night’s Zoom happy hour with friends. But that’s the point, isn’t it? I have been bothering.
