The Best Beauty Meme Responses to Makeup Shaming

Clap. Back.

February 17, 2017

As women, we're constantly faced with people telling us what we "should" and "shouldn't" do in terms of how we look, think, and act — from the way we dress, to how we do our jobs, to what we're entitled to do with our bodies. And the latest in this long line of criticisms? Telling us how much makeup we "should" and "shouldn't" be wearing in the form of makeup shaming.

The Internet is ripe with memes joking that you "can't trust a girl with too much makeup," and there have been a few bogus "studies" out there claiming that men prefer women who wear less makeup. But the Internet, and all of its uninformed and unwarranted opinions, needs to take a step back and understand why women wear makeup in the first place, and why it's really nobody else's business.

As any beauty lover can attest, makeup isn't just meant for hiding imperfections or changing the way we look. If that were the case, things like unicorn highlighter and chocolate-scented eyeshadow wouldn't exist. Makeup is an art form that can empower us and transform us into pretty much anything we want (have you seen any of Chrisspy's YouTube tutorials lately?!), and we're entitled to use it in whatever way we see fit. Makeup helps give people confidence and can make them feel good about themselves, two things that no stranger should have the authority to challenge. And also, it's just kind of fun to wear, especially when it's rainbow-colored or chocolate-flavored.

The bottom line? Whether you're a less-is-more kind of person or the "I won't leave the house without a fully contoured/highlighted/baked face" type, you have every right to do YOU without having to deal with anyone else's opinions. You can wear as much — or as little — makeup as you damn well please. And if anyone gives you any unwanted feedback about it? Hit them with one of these.

1. How About... No.