The other day I saw a bumper sticker for a nationally-known makeup company which had as its tag line, "enhancing the lives of women". It's not that I have anything against makeup or women who choose to wear it. I simply find it ironic that much of my experience with women who wear makeup is that they feel as though they don't look pretty without it. Rather than "enhancing" their lives, makeup seems to have them trapped. Trapped by what the world, via media, tells them they need in order to be attractive and feel better about themselves. A friend recently told me that there was a day she didn't want to put her makeup on, but when her husband saw her, he made a negative comment about how she looked...not because he is a mean person, but because he is not used to seeing her without her makeup. We've all had friends who are horribly embarrassed to be seen without their makeup, but what really takes the cake for me is when young teen girls feel as though they must wear makeup in order to be pretty. I can't help but think...well, here we go again with a whole new generation, perpetuating a lie about self-image which keeps a ridiculous amount of money flowing into the makeup industry's -- as well as all the industries' feeding into and out of it -- pockets. Sadly, so many women have believed the lies, that they are the ones pushing it onto other women! I, for one, will say till the day I die, "It's what's on the inside that counts...". Ladies, girls, females of all ages! I want to encourage you in your inner beauty! If we would spend as much time and energy on that as we do the outside, we would truly be beautiful....
c2009 Lorenda Houston
