YouTube has become a haven for me and this makeup passion of mine. Throughout YouTube, there are so many communities varied by interests. If you cook, there are circles of people that share that interest and vlog and do tutorials about it. If you like comedy, there is a circle. If you are a militant racist, yes, there is a place for you too. But for me, there is a place, a circle of friends that just love makeup and I have found a home with them.

They vary from people just trying out makeup to gurus that are actually make up artists and plenty in between. They share their purchases, called “hauls” and will also show you detailed views of how they do each look in tutorials. It’s a great place to learn!

I thought I knew enough about makeup because I can do an application and look great, but there is so much more out there. I’ve learned about different products, product lines, how to use certain products, and I’ve learned proper application as well as learning that in makeup, there are no rules. The object of this game is to have fun and feel beautiful. It’s a win win.

Now, I was a tad put off by some of the videos that seemed to be all about one particular product, but in trying and testing different products, I figured out why people rave about it. MAC, the line in question, has this stuff down to a science. They have a hard core group of followers that rival any trekkie convention and there is a reason for that. They have a great product.

Everyone can’t afford MAC prices, so there is also a great many that use drug store brand makeup to beautify and come up with amazing results.

We share beauty tips, insider secrets, notify each other of sales and review products. All for the benefit of each other. People that do videos come in different colors and shapes and none of that seems to matter to any of the viewers/subscribers. It’s really like looking through a Real Life Vogue magazine with pictures of women you can relate to and looks that you can really emulate because let’s face it, we can’t all be Naomi or Heidi and get airbrushing each morning when we apply out makeup.

I’ve given the group a nickname, the MakeUp Mafia, complete with a few heads of the Families. It’s funny, but there are gurus out there and their subscribers are loyal and faithful. I would venture to say when one of them recommends a product, stores all over the nation sell out of that item within a week. That’s the power of YouTube.

At first, I was afraid to put my own image out there. You’re really opening yourself up to criticism and sometimes, it’s not pretty,but for the most part, all of the people in that community are just your average ordinary women that share a particular interest in beauty.

As a feminist, I fought the idea of makeup as a neccessary tool for beauty, but the more I play with it, the more I see it as enhancement, not coverup. No one is hiding behind blush. No one is trying to be someone else with a lip color. People are just themselves, open, honest and caring and sharing. It’s really a great place to be if you love makeup.

Sending a smile…

~Feela~

Well, June flew by and July was just a cha-ching month. I kid you not. Since July first, my debit card has seen more action than I saw in 14 years of marriage which truly isn’t saying much. Just the same, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Beauty is a passion of mine. I can find beauty in dust and dirt. I can see art in a glass of flat pop. When I see color, my mood brightens, my spirit lifts and I appreciate the gift and blessing of sight as if I lived a life with blindness and an 88 eyeshadow color palette was my first glimpse after a life altering lasik surgery. This is why I’m so taken now with makeup.

I don’t actually do a “look” daily because I don’t leave the house all that often, but I do believe that one should dress for themselves and that in itself does something to elevate ones outlook. I remember long ago reading about a Fly Lady ritual whereby the first thing a person should do each day is put your shoes on. Even if you aren’t leaving the house, it sets the tone for the remainder of the day. I completely agree with that. I take it a step further and wear cute lingerie just for me so I feel femme, exude confidence and personify sexy. I recall a paramour once mentioning my unmentionables as if I wore them for him and I said, “Oh no, Love, I wear cute undies for me and me only.” If they entice or excite, great, but that’s not the goal. It’s kind of like having a secret weapon of confidence. It’s Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” poem as a mantra. My own private upper.

Cosmetics has been that for me lately. Well, always really, but I was stuck in neutral colors for a long time and it took some introspection to determine the cause. When I met the man I would marry, one of the first things he said to me was, “I don’t like red lipstick on women,” and you know what, I stopped wearing it. I got the guy, but lost myself. A 23 year old woman that couldn’t wear her favorite lip color, all for what she believed was love. Hindsight, as they say.

Now, I wear lots of nudes and yes, reds, and corals and it’s by choice. I’m reclaiming my identity and enjoying using my face as my canvas to display my mood, my ambition, my wild streak, my soft side and everything that is the staunch feminist in me.

Stay tuned. I have about 5 or 6 posts to update this week and if I have the energy, I will do most of them today.

Sending a smile…

~Feela~