I have seen your makeup posts and never was interested in any of them (you can see why). When I saw this picture, I thought it added a layer of complexity to your personality. I think it's unavoidable in this picture that cosmetics are taking a hit :) We, as woman are conditioned to use them. We are conditioned to try and be as attractive as we can, and many women do unpleasant things to themselves to meet that standard.
It's hard to resist the marketing, the pitch we are given even as little girls that our appearance is paramount. It takes up so much emotional and actual time in a girl's life.
I think you must be very confident, in a way, to let your instinct through, to listen to the voice in your head that wants to create perplexing art. You're not tailoring your art to expectations, but to the voice in your head (or your heart).
I agree with you regarding makeup. I also hate when some people say "you don't need makeup" as a compliment, although I do know their intentions are not bad, just overall that statement is saying that people wear makeup to be beautiful. We never need makeup, nobody does, a lot of us use it as an expression for ourselves, like a canvas and practicing and blending colors and whatnot.
One of my goals for creating makeup content is to encourage people to be creative and do what you like and not think about being "pretty" to somebody else. I don't want to be that makeup creator who would sell makeup "to make you beautiful". I think that's toxic and I plan to use my voice to discourage that thinking. Do as they please, not to fit to what society deems pretty. :D
It's doing the makeup thing I think what really helped me start painting again. The "long nails" to me are more like fingers melting as I've been in burnout for years now and I feel guilt for that (which I shouldn't be) but if you think about it, having really long nails also prevent you from doing stuff! XD But yeah, cosmetics have not affected me negatively, in fact it is positive.
That's how it should be, in an ideal world. Unfortunately even in history we know even artists who were very expressive were looked down on... it's until they die that people start to appreciate that. It is very hard since we all need to pay the bills. But yeah I need to be braver :D
Thank you for your comment and wonderful insight :D