10 Things Makeup Junkies Are Sick of Hearing

Makeup means different things to different people. Some turn their talent and knowledge into a paying job, others obsess about it like any other hobby, while many simply enjoy enhancing their good looks with it everyday. We get it though - not everyone understands our love for makeup. We don’t all have to die for the perfect MLBB lipstick or understand the importance of kilay but can non-makeup lovers just not rain on our parade? Some remarks are simply annoying, spoken out of ignorance, or even downright rude. We’ve compiled a list of the usual comments we encounter and our tips on how to deal with them!

“Are you sick?” (if you don’t have makeup on)

You may hear this if people around you are used to seeing you wear makeup and have never seen your dark circles before. There are just days when don’t have time to put on makeup or simply don’t feel like it. And that’s totally fine! Just brush off the remark, assure them that you’re fine, and go about your life.

“Why are you wearing red lipstick? May ganap?”

Red lipstick has a rep for glamour and sexiness. It may apply tediously but it’s such a flattering color, especially if you find the right shade of red for you. Wearing blue-based reds can even make your teeth look whiter. There’s no good reason why it has to be reserved just for special occasions – bust it out if you want to look put together without having to apply much else for the rest of your face! Give them a smile that shows of your pearly whites and reply, “Ang ganda, noh?”

“Eyeliner is for goths.”

First off, there’s nothing wrong with doing a gothic look. But if you wear a smudgy formula that gets all over your face or apply it incorrectly, you may end up looking like you have panda eyes. It’s possible that this comment means you need to work on your liner application. Make sure you use a good product and apply in a way that actually flatters your eye shape. If your line is fine and the other person is simply expressing a bias, ignore the remark or come up with a snappy “It didn’t say so on the product label.”

“Why buy a 1k lipstick if you can get it for P50?”

We pay a little more for good and safe ingredients and for what we value; if you can afford it, go ahead and treat yourself to luxury makeup. While there are great makeup products you can find for less, at the end of the day, it’s all about your priorities. If they’re bragging about a Kylie lip kit that they “scored” for a tenth of what you know it actually costs, consider carefully if you should tell them about fake makeup. While it’s technically the responsible thing to do, some people may just not be receptive.

“You have too much makeup on!”

IMHO, swiping on a bold lippie or sporting a cool eyeshadow look isn’t “too much makeup”. But to someone who barely swipes on lip balm, your tiny winged liner may look too dramatic. Consider also that you may have been using too much product or not blending it in well enough. Make sure to apply in thin layers, slowly building up to the coverage or color you desire. Always moisturize properly, and blend, blend, blend to avoid your makeup from looking cakey!

“May tinatago ka ba? Baka insecure ka.”

We all have our reasons for applying makeup. For me, it’s to feel extra ready to take on the day and add a spring to my step. Whatever your reason may be, just brush off what people say – we believe in the empowerment that makeup gives!

“Makeup is bad for your skin.”

This is a valid point, if you don’t take care to remove your makeup completely or buy fake cosmetics that have questionable quality. Otherwise, take this as an opportunity to tell them about local brands like VMV Hypoallergenics and Happy Skin, which focus on coming up with skin-friendly products that won’t irritate skin. Be familiar with what ingredients irritate your skin and research on what you should avoid.

“Pahiram ng makeup!”

Makeup is a personal thing, literally! Maybe you can lend say, bottles of foundations where the product is just pumped out but for things that require skin contact like powder, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, and tools, there’s a good reason for you to be selfish and not want to share. Gently decline and explain that makeup can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and you certainly don’t want to pass on your germs to them even if you don’t appear to be sick for their own safety.

“Drag makeup is only for drag queens.”

To be clear, you don’t need full-on drag makeup unless you’re going onstage and under bright lights. The queens’ techniques have found their way to everyday makeup though, like baking and applying contour. If you like how they make you look, just go for it and don’t be afraid to strut your stuff!

“Ka-vogue ka ngayon! May party ka, noh?”

High fashion or editorial makeup are best reserved for runway and the glossies because they’re often unrealistic and possibly even uncomfortable to wear IRL. But you can totally make these unwearable looks wearable! They can be adapted to play into your daily look, just like when we recreated the glossy eyes trend to not look out of place with everyday makeup. The technique is to keep things understated, and to keep the focus on a particular feature.

In any case, at the end of the day, it's none of anybody's beeswax how you choose to dress up your face and the rest of your body. You don't owe anyone an explanation, least of all an apology, for how you choose to live your life. If you're happy and spending your own money then do yourself a favor and don't let those around you control you.

Ever had the things above said to you before? How do you address them? We’d love to hear your stories!