How My Daughter Taught Me That MakeUp Is A Gift To Womanhood

Every time my 13-year-old daughter Nakai gets any pocket money, the only shop she goes to is the make-up store. Last weekend her father treated her to some money, and she went to town and bought more and more make-up. I don’t even have the amount of make-up she has. I am not much of a make-up person, I prefer the natural look.

So last weekend after she came back from her make-up shopping spree, she was very excited about her new make-up kit. It was around 6 pm and I was about to do some writing, then she came to me, ‘Mum please please can I do your make-up’.

 

 

‘Sweetheart, I am busy I am about to write,’ was my answer. She looked so gutted.

Then I remembered when I was a child, I used to have a passion for braiding and plaiting hair. I used to go to my mother and literally beg her to do her hair because she had such beautiful long hair. But she never let me.  I ended up having to braid grass. Sigh. Yes grass. I did all sorts of elaborate hairstyles on grass. In fact, that’s where I learnt to braid and plait, on grass. Well it did me good because when I came to the UK I made a few pennies from braiding hair.

So as I looked at Nakai,  who was so gutted that she could not do her mother’s make-up, I put the laptop down and told her she could do it. I want to encourage her passion, not suppress it. I want to help her in what she loves to do. She was so excited, it was as though she had won the lottery. She ran upstairs to get her kit.

After she had finished, I could believe it when I looked in the mirror. The look was perfect. Just how I like it. Natural looking make-up. I looked like I was not wearing make-up at all, yet my natural beauty had been so enhanced. My face was more brighter. Nakai’s make-up simply enhanced my natural beauty. It didn’t change my look nor did it distort my natural look to make me look like a clown doll.

I think make-up is being over worn these days, and it’s now becoming more like deception than enhancing natural beauty. I shudder at some of the make-up pictures I see online, especially with this new ‘contouring’ trend. Make-up is becoming more like a freak show, I had to remove myself from a few make-up groups I was added to on Facebook, just out of respect for womanhood and our natural beauty. Some of the make-up is becoming an insult to beauty.

 

According to research 2 out of 3 women wear too much makeup. A study revealed that two-thirds of British women cake it on to look more attractive to men but three-quarters of men say they actually prefer the more natural look. The biggest turn off for men is bright red lipstick, false eyelashes or thick eyebrows.

I certainly agree with this research. Talking from experience, I think a lot of men hate it when we marinate our faces with too much makeup. We certainly need to wear it in moderation. Nino always prefers me in as little make-up as possible.

But last weekend Nakai made me appreciate make-up a lot more. The result was amazing. I told her this was the look I wanted each time I was going out. I do not want to look like I have put on make-up. I want to look as natural as possible, but I want my beauty to be enhanced.  She got me. And I will never shave off my eyebrows just to draw on them with a pencil, I think it makes women look stupid. I do not think God made a mistake when he gave us eyebrows.

That said, I believe Make-Up is God’s gift to women. It makes us look a lot better. I think women who are anti-makeup kid themselves. I respect their choice, but I believe no matter how beautiful you are, you need a little help to enhance that beauty.  The women who say they don’t wear make-up always end up saying they only wear lip gloss or lipstick, which is rather ironic.

Nakai was ever so professional, she told me to take pictures afterwards. When I sent the pictures to Nino he was so impressed with the look.

 

 

So I am really thankful to my baby girl, for reminding me that make-up is a gift to womanhood. We all need it, well most of us. It doesn’t mean we are ugly without it, but we are prettier with a little help.

Happy Woman Crush Wednesday, my readers. I couldn’t help but crush on my talented make-up artist daughter this Wednesday.