Go Heavy Or Light? Woman's Tweet On Pakistani Bridal Makeup Sparks Debate

Bridal makeup strongly divides women, be it in India or Pakistan. should a bride opt for simple makeup, or should she go all out? Should the decision be made based on what she plans to wear on her big day, or what kind of makeup will best suit her face? There is no single answer and everyone feels differently about it. A tweet on Pakistani bridal makeup showcases how women are devoid of this basic choice by shaming.

Recently on Twitter, a woman from Pakistan called bridal makeup in her country" absolutely horrendous". She further went on to critique by saying, "The over exaggerated bun, heavy liner, lashes, blue lense, glittery eyes, red blush makeup look is sooooooo ugly. Natural subtle glam looks so much better but these anarkalis are not ready for this discussion."

The tweet sparked the debate on the internet on bridal makeup. To wear or not to wear makeup, what amount of makeup to wear is a personal choice but we often witness women being shamed for the same. As one user wrote in the comments section, "every women is different. Some feel confident in heavy makeup while others do in lighter makeup. Some feel confident in these blunt hair dyes while others do in their natural haricolor. It’s not on u to decide if it looks “pretty” or “ugly”."

Another user pointed out how bridal makeup caters to Pakistani society's notions about what makes for a "beautiful" bride. The tweet read, "It perpetuates a harmful mindset. The bride is made several shades lighter than her actual skintone, her eye colour is lightened, all her features are weirdly contoured. That being the beauty standard reflects a lot about our society."

All these argument are valid, but what we need to ask instead is, is there a need for makeup shaming women?

Makeup Shaming

Makeup shaming is something that happens both when women wear and when they do not wear makeup. Women are often ridiculed and judged for wearing “too much” makeup and are told that they are trying to hide imperfections or change the way originally look.

Makeup is a form of expression. It is art. It is a choice and no one deserves to be shamed for it.  Makeup zyada nahi ho gaya iska? Haven't we all heard aunts and cousins sneer and say this at a wedding? No, actually what has crossed limits is your opinion that no one asked for. People think that women try to hide something or portray themselves as someone they are not and that needs to be judged and called out. Well, there no need for that.

Suggested Reading: Wearing Makeup And Nail Polish Doesn’t Make Me Less Of A Feminist

'Natural' Beauty

It is said that men prefer women who wear less makeup. But who said women wear makeup for men? "Women look good 'naturally' and makeup is unnatural, I don't like makeup." Then don't wear it but why tell what other women what they should do?

Makeup can empower some women and give them the way to transform into whatever they wish to. Some women choose not to wear makeup and that's their choice. Others who choose to do so invest their time and money in their appearance, well that's also a choice. Some women take pride in not wearing makeup and end up shaming other women like this woman in this derogatory tweet. She literally calls the makeup of the bride 'horrendous' and advocates for no makeup subtle look over heavy makeup look. She even calls a bride with heavy makeup 'ugly'. Do women need to pull other women down like this?

When Will The Moral Policing Stop?

Women are always told what they "should" and "shouldn't" do with their bodies, looks, how they think and act, the way they dress, etc. Along with this even wearing and not wearing makeup is policed.

But who decides what amount of makeup is unattractive or what amount of makeup will make the woman look beautiful? Again, the hard to accept answer is- it's their choice. Instead of commenting on their choices, we need to learn to accept them. Everyone must have the freedom to decide what to do with their bodies and faces and it shouldn't be anyone's concern.

Views expressed are the author's own.