Society unfairly forces women into a cycle of unhappiness with standards too high for anyone to meet. The unrealistic and unfair expectation for women to wear makeup is just not right and should not be the anthem of anyone’s life.

Women are surrounded by society’s expectations everyday. Social media has become a playground for bullies to confuse and hurt women with their comments. If the women don’t wear makeup, they are sometimes told they are “ugly” or “not good enough,” but when these women do, they are sometimes told it is “false advertisement,” even though women are products to be sold.

“I do feel like if you wear makeup you’re attacked a little bit more, but at the same time if you don’t wear makeup you’re attacked, too,” Danielle Fewkes, junior and self professed feminist, said. “There are people who are attacked [by strangers and] take these comments very personally because it can be very damaging if someone is saying something negative about you.”

Instead of promoting the idea that perfection is reached by wearing makeup, parents and society should be raising little girls to take pride in their appearance and let them explore what that means to them.

“It’s your choice and your body. You should have the freedom to express yourself,” Fewkes said. “I think that if you do decide to wear makeup, it should be because you want to do it.”

Only four percent of women around the world consider themselves beautiful, according to Stylecaster. This is nowhere near enough. Everyone needs to be able to have the freedom to choose what makes them comfortable in their own skin so they can be able to call themselves “beautiful.”

“I think every girl should take pride in her appearance. I also think as women grow up we should be professional. You have to exude a professional appearance [by wearing makeup], but I don’t think that means glamor over the top if that’s not your thing,” Julie Osterhaus, Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant, said. “[Mary Kay Cosmetics] talks about how to accent your natural beauty with products that look natural.”

The expectation to be professional is reasonable, but women do not need makeup to be professional. It is important to value oneself and women can find that wearing makeup diminishes their self worth because it does not represent who they are as a person. Women should not have to sacrifice being comfortable in their own skin in order to be someone else’s idea of professional.

“Should women have to wear makeup to look their best? No. But if that’s what a woman wants do to feel her best, then absolutely do that,” Stuart said. “You should always feel your best and feel comfortable in your own skin. If makeup provides that for you go ahead.”

With times changing, different ways of expressing oneself have become more accessible and more acceptable in society.

“I feel the culture is shifting away from being perfectly made up all the time,” Fewkes said. “If you feel good wearing makeup, wear all the makeup you want. If you don’t feel good wearing makeup, don’t wear makeup. It’s all about how you are the most comfortable.”

Some social media celebrities are using #thepowerofmakeup with a pictures that shows half their face with makeup and half without. This promotion towards the choice for women to wear whatever makes them happy is a step in the right direction.

“I think that if you do decide to wear makeup, it should be because you want to do it. I genuinely enjoy doing makeup,” Fewkes said. “If you’re trying to wear makeup for a boy, that just seems like a colossal waste of time. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks as long as you feel good.”