NEW YORK (AP).— Pamela Anderson has nothing against makeup. It’s just that he’s already been through it in his younger years. That’s why now, at 58, she attends fashion shows and film premieres with a wonderfully natural face.
It is a “look”, especially in the case of older women, that serves to disturb and disconcert. Do we pursue youth (and relevance) with a full face of makeup, or do we encourage glowing skin and move forward without makeup?
Anderson told Vogue before a recent show she attended in Paris: “I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room. I feel like it’s just freedom. It’s like a relief.”
In the non-famous world, is it just as easy and comfortable to go without makeup? Some defenders of the “look”, along with style and beauty experts, give their opinion on the matter.
At work
Women, particularly older ones, aren’t universally ditching makeup, but Anderson, Alicia Keys and other celebrities who have publicly shown off their natural faces have certainly inspired some women to ditch it.
However, working women recognize the difficulties of doing so in the workplace, especially in traditional and less creative spaces.
Deborah Borg, head of human resources at a creatively inclined company with about 25,000 employees, said: “I still think there’s some politics associated with it. More around feeling and looking well presented.”
She revealed that she has seen more women arrive at work without makeup since Covid-19 and believes that the pandemic significantly altered work dynamics.
Borg, 49, stopped wearing makeup four years ago, save for an occasional touch of her bold, signature red lipstick. At Dalya, a cozy clothing store in New York’s trendy Soho neighborhood, she served as a model to demonstrate how to make natural skin shine and how to use clothing and accessories to accentuate the look.
Skin preparation
Makeup artist Rebecca Robles advised Borg and others with mature skin to think about hydration when choosing products to make the most of their natural faces.
Robles recommends a five-step workday routine: a gentle cleanser; a vitamin C serum to brighten and mitigate fine lines; a moisturizer with sun protection; a separate broad-spectrum sunscreen for an extra boost (don’t forget to apply it to your ears), and lip balm.
No mascara? No problem. Use an eyelash curler to add some life to your eyes, Robles said. And gently brush your eyebrows to complete.
Robles suggests finding products with hyaluronic acid and ceramides, and always applying skin care products facing upwards. Minimizes pulling and stretching on the skin.
“When your skin is glowing, something really fun to keep in mind is that the light reflects off that skin’s moisture and can help blur any fine lines or enlarged pores. So it’s a win-win,” Robles explained.
He advised that each product be allowed to sit for a minute or two before taking the next step.
Borg emphasized the ease of her morning routine since she stopped wearing makeup. I used to spend about 30 minutes just on makeup. Now, she does her hair and face in half that time.
Clothing and accessories
Natalie Tincher, personal stylist and founder of Bu Style, praised Anderson, Keys and other celebrities who have gone makeup-free both publicly and on social media.
“They look beautiful and they’re so confident in their natural persona and who they are that I feel like they’re really setting an example for all of us women to say, ‘Hey, what am I hiding? I don’t have to do that. I can choose whether I want to go with no makeup, minimal makeup, or a full glam look. I can have those options.’”
For her clients who go without makeup, she uses a three-pronged approach.
First, with clothing, “use a lot of color. I call it our filter,” Tincher said.
Secondly, play with texture; determines how the light will be reflected. “So if you have something more matte, that’s going to create a softer lighting on you. If you have more satin silk, like a blouse, for example, it’s going to be more like a laser beam,” he noted.
Don’t forget the accessories. Tincher said additional touches like lapel pins, earrings and necklaces can provide a polished finish, especially if that good presentation is something that’s expected at work.
“Think of your outfit as the big picture. When you walk in, what’s the statement it’s making? It’s not just one part of you, it’s your entire presence in a room,” she said.
They also say goodbye
Colleen Gehoski Steinman, who lives near Lansing, Michigan, recently switched from a career in public relations and fundraising to professional sewing. During the Covid-19 pandemic she stopped dying her hair and then gave up wearing makeup most of the time.
But at 59 years old she is not strict about it if she is going to be under lighting that will wash her away. “It’s who we really are and you can be beautiful just the way you are,” Steinman emphasized.
In South Carolina, Cate Chapman runs a bagel shop and sells her homemade custards at farmers markets in the Greenville area. She was all for makeup as a teenager, but has lived happily free of it since the early 1990s.
“I just thought, on the one hand, makeup is expensive,” Chapman, 57, recalled. “Putting it on takes time. As a woman, I earn less, and my male colleagues don’t have to spend on this. It’s not fair. It feels like it’s something they demand of you and it’s not right.”
Makeup “felt like a prison.” Stopped using it gradually, first the foundation. But still, she’s not opposed to applying a little mascara on special occasions. “If you enjoy it, do it,” he considered. “But if you feel like you are a slave to it, let it go.”
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