Hot Topic: Why Makeup Is Better Than Sliced Bread

I sit here watching makeup tutorials on YouTube, hoping to find the right look for a date night or a casual lunch, and I'm amazed at the amount of effort it takes to put these things on. Contour, highlights, I mean, you can actually reshape your face using colors, like, if that doesn't blow your mind then I don't know what does. But if you watch the plethora of 'Boyfriend Does My Makeup' videos, you'll see that the struggle is real. These men approach the bare naked face of their lovers in apprehension. What do I put on first? What is this bottle? What is a foundation? Is this eyeliner or eyebrow pencil? Powder? What is powder for? It becomes a hilarious situation that's very watchable and mildly entertaining for a few minutes. 

Let's get to it:

My daily makeup routine consists of a light layer of bb cream or foundation, concealer, then I meticulously do my eyebrows with immaculate precision to look closer to Cara Delevingne, eyeliner, mascara, then lipstick. It's not much. It takes me 10 minutes on average, and 15 if my eyeliner decides to fuck one eye up. How hard is it to create matching lines on both eyes? Impossible, I say. It is akin to putting a needle in a thread whilst wearing mittens on a windy day on a rocking boat in the Pacific.

No one comments that I put too much makeup on because I strive to look like I'm not wearing any. My goal is to look naturally awake as opposed to sexy. So say goodbye to lipgloss, bronzer, eyeshadow and blush. I want to look natural in the most unnatural way possible. A trick I've discovered is that if you have perfect skin, you don't need much else. I am unfortunate enough to not have that, despite my Asian heritage. Sad to say that I get the occasional pimple here and there, but it seems to settle into my skin for months, as if marking its territory. 'A zit wuz here'.

Makeup is a godsend. It accentuates my favorite features, and eradicates any imperfections. But then again, it has become such a staple in my routine that it's nearly impossible to see my bare face the same way again. Some people might think that my bare face is alright, nothing majorly unappealing. Makeup, however, has given me a choice to look 'slightly above mediocre' instead of 'subpar at best'. I'll take the former, thank you very much! 

Since I have such a dependence on the near-magical ability of makeup to transform me into a presentable human being, I have forgotten what it's like to go bare faced out in public. The only time I do go out without makeup is to grab some takeaway from a nearby restaurant or to do some quick grocery shopping. Even then, I'll look down at my feet the entire time, hoping I won't see anyone I know. Then I'll be back in a flash to my apartment in less than an hour. 

It's because most people I know have only seen me with makeup. They haven't seen the dark-circled, hyperpigmented, acne-scarred girl that hides beneath the flawless complexion and cat eyes. It's the fear that people would see me for what I truly look like, and judge me for using makeup as a trick to fool innocent bystanders. I mean, just take a look at this video and don't tell me that makeup isn't the best thing ever invented.

I try my best to keep my makeup minimal, but even then, taking it off feels like a transformation from Princess Fiona to ogre. This poses danger if I go out with a guy who seems genuinely interested in me. And if the time comes where I have to remove my makeup, it becomes a heart-pounding moment as I appear from the solace of the bathroom and into the seemingly horrified face of said boy. Of course, this might all be in my head. I might not be all that different without my Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation, but then again, I might be wrong too. 

To me, being bare faced is one of the greatest form of trust. It might be a no-brainer for my girls out there who wouldn't even go near a M.A.C makeup counter, but it's a big deal for me. Also a big deal for the numerous Asian girls who make their eyes look larger than life using eyelid tape, fake lashes and circle lenses. Even being bare faced to my friends seem like such a task. I remember emerging from my bathroom after a long day with one of my girl friend, and her first reaction was, "[gasp], Jasmine without makeup!" 

So to anyone who has seen me without makeup (don't believe my 'natural' makeup look; it's extremely deceiving), consider yourself one of the lucky few.