Barefaced Is Not Chic

Have you ever hid your face when the lights went on in a club? Because your make-up was no longer runway fresh, and your hair wasn't still in the style you arrived in because of the heat inside the club? I remember this ritual from my younger clubbing days, the girls would rush outside as soon as the lights came up. Men would be left standing alone on the dancefloor as the woman they were holding onto made a sudden urgent dash for the bathroom. It works both ways though, as some of the men, let's just say, we're no oil painting under the harsh glare of a 100 watt bulb.

I've had the 'make-up' debate with so many of my boyfriends, and male friends. They say: "You don't need to wear it" I say: "I know. But I like to". Never mind that the women they fantasise about wear enough slap to keep Mac going for years, when it comes to their women, less is nothing. But let me explain for those that don't understand.

To me, make-up is like clean panties, a bra, or a freshly waxed top-lip. Es-sen-tial to the final look. Not in a ridiculous way, like the woman who used to attend my step aerobics class wearing a tube of pillar box red Constance Carroll (see cheap) lipstick lacquered onto her marshmallow fat lips. Unless I've just come back from a country where the temperature was in the 90s every day for a week, and my face is burnt creme caramel with a J-Lo 'Glow', I'm wearing make-up when I go out. Even with a tan, I would still wear mascara, and sheer lipgloss. I usually wear make-up when I go out, or in a business setting like a job interview, but on a daily basis, less so.

Why do I wear it? Because make up = polish. As a woman, you're raised to take grooming very seriously, and to me make-up is a part of that. It is a cosmetic enhancement which does not involve cutting yourself, or paying through the nose for a new nose. A little mascara to open up the eyes, some lipgloss, and blusher, TA DAAA. A fresh-faced look is yours.

I know I look different with make-up. I look BETTER. But I wouldn't say that without it I look hideous, or that I'm falsely representing myself. Women of all cultures, ancient and present have worn something which is recognised as make-up. It is not a European thing that black women have adopted, but it is something which has been a part of African culture for centuries.

When I'm going out, make-up adds a sheen and a polish which completes the look. It's not worn to cover up, conceal (ok - sometimes the dark circles) or to fool anyone (see man). Make-up is fun, and it's a big part of fashion. New looks come in and out, and if you're fashion conscious you want to try them out. I particularly like smoky eyes, and black eyeliner, which I believe is the look men like least because the make-up is so obvious. But, hey, they're entitled to their opinion. If a man decides he doesn't want to approach me because I'm wearing black kohl, it's not a problem for me. I would hope that someone wouldn't just like me because of how I look, but also, amazingly, because of what's going on inside my head.

Obviously there are women who are guilty of crimes against make-up, tarring those of us who indulge with the same lipbrush. Those that just wear the pillar box red lipstick. And line the lips with a black pencil. I would love to know who started this non-trend. Sadly it can still be spotted in parts of south London. And the women who wear the Tango orange Fashion Fair foundation. An inch thick. It get's on men's shirts and NEVER comes out. Not a good look if that man ain't yours. And finally, there are the women that draw in the eyebrows they no longer have. Jamaican and Nigerian women particularly partial to this one. Overplucking is an illness, get help.

But I reckon, the majority of us, use just enough to add that sheen which gives you a sleek, polished look, and a bounce in your step when you're heading out the door. The litmus test for me is, if the shoes I'm wearing are 3 inches or over, the lippy comes out.