Why You Shouldn’t Follow Makeup “Rules”

If there was one watershed moment for beauty in 2014, it was the rise of the bare face. Celebrities and influencers tossed their cosmetics aside for no-makeup selfies, embracing routines that were skin care-focused, while the biggest trend of the year was no-makeup makeup. This meant women who did wear makeup had one idea drilled into their heads over and over: If you're wearing it, make sure you don't look like you are.

We're part of the "shame not, lest ye be shamed" school, which is why we believe so strongly that women should do whatever the hell they please with their own faces. Wear makeup or don't — that's your call to make, and people need to lay off and let you do you. So, seeing BuzzFeed's recent article depicting how makeup doesn't have to look natural to be beautiful brought great joy to our hearts.

This is a sentiment we've discussed at length, so, we appreciate BuzzFeed's addition to the conversation. We dig blue lipstick as much as the next person (actually, probably, a lot more), and these images truly show off what beauty is all about — creativity, skill, and having fun with your canvas.

But, natural makeup and extreme makeup aren't mutually exclusive on one face. We'd like to get back to the idea that all makeup choices are good all the time. And, the new year is the perfect time to quit judging women for their makeup decisions. It's important to realize that this encompasses all decisions.

Bottom line: You don't have to like it, and you don't have to wear it, but there's no need to be catty and make a woman feel ashamed or embarrassed to have used her makeup as a form of self-expression. Anything a person can do to make themselves feel beautiful is worthy of praise. That's the, well, beauty of beauty. It's about taking a look at yourself in the mirror and being enamored (or, at least a little more content) with who's looking back at you.

Click over to BuzzFeed to see all of the photos and appreciate the pure joy that comes from expressing yourself however you want to — trends be damned. (BuzzFeed)