Alicia Keys’ face value just went up exponentially, as the singer unveiled her makeup-free look to the world, proclaiming that she “hope[s] to God it’s a revolution. ‘Cause I don’t want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.” The public’s strong reaction to her bold choice, uncovered a few layers of latent judgment, as society has long held women to a higher standard of beauty. That being said, it’s worth nothing that all men on television ALSO wear makeup, it’s just far less obvious. In fact, Conan could possibly blend into white walls without bronzer (a joke he’s often made himself).
I’ve always maintained that women don’t look BETTER with makeup, they just look DIFFERENT, and sometimes it’s good to switch it up. Hair down, hair up, formal, casual, etc. The light and shade of life creates standout moments, and without contrast of any kind, things can be a bit lackluster. It is; however, interesting to see what people actually look like without their faces covered. It might be a movement, but here’s hoping going bra-less isn’t next.