The Natural Beauty Body Politics project is a way to help change beauty standards to a more realistic view of women.
There is no one standard of beauty, but there is a lot of acceptable shaming of women’s appearance in overt ways, but also more quiet and insidious ways. Every day women and girls get messages that the way they look isn’t desirable by offering up services and products that help you conform to some invented ideal.
This project is not an attempt to say makeup is bad. Or coloring your hair is bad. It is a way for women to gather their voices, like a quiver of arrows, and send new, healthier messages out into the world.
Women have long hair and short hair. Women have freckles and acne. Women have stretchmarks and scars. Women have wrinkles and body hair. And that whether you choose to shave it all or keep it all – that’s ok. Whether you choose to wear makeup or go without – that’s ok!
“If everyone isn’t beautiful, then no one is.”
~ Andy Warhol
This is LeaAnne and her last sentence packs a lot of punch. Here is what she has to say:
To me makeup is an enhancer. Well, now it is. I used to use it to hide what I felt were flaws, freckles, acne, discoloration etc. I still have those “problems” but I just don’t care. I’m not beautiful by today’s standards, but guess what, I don’t care what society thinks. My children and my boyfriend think I’m beautiful. I’m loved not for how I look, but for the person that I am.
Do I wear makeup? Sure. I use a powder because my skin gets shiny. I like to use different color eye shadows, eyeliners, and mascara to play up my eyes, lipsticks and glosses on the lips. But I no longer feel the need to wear makeup. I do it for the flair and the fun and I’m trying to instill that same outlook in my girls when it comes to their outward appearance. Clean and well groomed go a long way, use the make up for fun, not as a shield.
If you would like to participate with this project email a natural makeup free or silver/gray haired photo of yourself that has not been filtered to greenbeltgoddess (at) gmail (dot) com.
Body Politics 