Commonplace Topic - Brave Masks

Growing up, I was the biggest tomboy in my family.  Not only did I wear the over-sized T-shirts, refuse anything pink or glittery, and throw a fit when my mom forced me into a skirt (I couldn't run or climb trees in skirts), but I hated make-up as well.  It took too much time to apply all that gloppy goop on my face and then I felt like I was wearing a costume.  My face felt like a mask.
In reality, I was never forced to put on that much make up.  As much as I felt like a clown, my mom barely brushed some pink on my cheeks, and only gave me a smidge of mascara.  Plus, this was not a common occurrence.  She only added makeup and skirts when going somewhere fancy.  Possibly the chap stick I was using was bought purposefully with color in it too. 
Today I love make-up.  Even though I roll my eyes when my sister refuses to go to the store with me because she claims, “Ew, no.  I’m not going anywhere.  I’m not wearing make-up – I look gross,” and even though I still don't wear much, applying eyeliner and covering up my blemishes are part of the daily routine.  I apply it in an edgy fashion when I am going to a club, or I ironically give myself an artificially "natural" look when I want to dress down.  When I am going to a party I want to look colorful, when I am going to an event I want to look classy, when I am going out for Halloween, I over-do it because I want to look like something I'm not.

Flipping through channels one night after washing my face - I come across the television show Toddlers In Tiaras.  What is this??  This is a beauty contest?  These children - no, not even - these toddlers are glossed over with excess amounts of make-up.  They're much too young for this.  Not only are these girls wearing mascara, but entirely fake, extremely thick, quite dark eyelashes, with eyeliner drawn in, reshaping their eyes, and bold eyeshadow colored up to their eyebrows - also drawn in to be reshaped - and I thought, why do these kids look like this?  Are they actually being judged on "beauty"?  After all, this is supposed to be a beauty contest, right?  I thought, what do these girls really look like?  I wonder who they are under that false face... that mask.  Right now, they look like something they're not.

In the media today we see hundreds of examples of female "beauty."  Hillary Clinton is being praised, and criticized, for going out in public with no make-up raising the question of whether or not that is "appropriate" of her to do.  Tyra Banks stepped out a few nights ago with smoky black eyeshadow people claim to have been "overdone," giving her a raccoon-like appearance.  Chick flicks and cheesy TV shows where the nerdy girl wants to score some hot jock are always given a make-over; the glasses are replaced by contacts, the hair comes out of the frizzy braids, and the guy suddenly realizes she exists, and they date, and they fall in love, and they live happily ever after, (just like real life right?).  Magazines give make-up tips teaching tweens how to apply just the right amount of lip gloss that will catch the eye of that cutie they've been crushing on during their lunch period. 
And all the while, there is a call to be who you want to be - to be yourself.  Children are told (hopefully before they are slathered with make-up) that they can be whatever they want when they grow up.  "Mommy, I want to be a ninja!" is responded with "That sounds like fun Johnny!"  At the age of 10, when you tell your father: "Daddy, I want to be an astronaut." hopefully you're encouraged to study hard and learn about the stars.  The same ideals are taught up through college: choose a major that you're interested in, so that you can have a career that you love.  It's not all about money.
Does this include glossy lips and smoky eyes?  Rather than a teacher or an actor or a doctor, is being pretty what children aspire to be when they grow up?  Are we truly told to be whoever and whatever we want, while simultaneously being told that we aren't pretty enough?  If we go out without excessive make-up, are we going to be rumored to not even identify with the female gender like Lady GaGa was, or will we be praised for showing off our natural beauty like Beyonce?  When is it appropriate to not cover up our skin?  Who is deemed beautiful by society today?

Yes, make-up is fun.  No, it's not an evil thing.  No, you're not a terrible person for putting on a little bit of lipstick or framing your eyes with some mascara, and no, not everybody is going to tell you to always wear makeup.  I agree, makeup is fun!  It makes us feel pretty, and there are times when makeup is definitely more appropriate than others.  In abundant amounts though, you become unrecognizable when the artificial colors are wiped off your face.  There is an underlying fear flowing through girls nowadays.   
It's scary to expose ourselves to the rest of the world.  We will be judged; whether that is in a positive or negative manner, it's going to happen.  The main question is not are we pretty enough, but do we have enough courage to take off our masks every once in a while?  Are we brave enough not to hide?