This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
On November 1, 2019, the online community was abuzz with memes and jokes about Aisha Jumwa's appearance in court without makeup. The Honourable Member of Parliament was unrecognizable without her usual makeup, sparking a heated debate about the role of makeup in society.
While some argue that makeup is a form of self-expression and empowerment, others see it as a societal pressure that can be damaging to women's self-esteem. A recent conversation with a male friend got me thinking about the impact of makeup on our perception of women.
Research has shown that men tend to rate women with makeup as more attractive, trustworthy, and competent. However, this can be misleading, as heavy makeup can transform a woman beyond recognition. A friend of mine shared a story about a crisis at his workplace, where staff members were recalled to work without time to apply makeup. He couldn't recognize most of the women, and I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Makeup should be used to enhance one's natural features, not alter them completely. A good rule of thumb is to use it to conceal imperfections, not to create a completely new persona. A woman should be able to look beautiful without makeup, not just with it.
Heavy makeup can be a scam, as it can make a woman unrecognizable. A girl online posted two photos of herself, one with makeup and the other without, captioning the first one 'This is for when I go missing' and the second one 'This is when I want your fathers to pay my rent'. The joke was on the boy child who wakes up to a totally different woman in the morning!
