Two Day Magazine

...Batting those lashes at the patriarchy never felt so good...

As a woman with a strong identification to liberal feminist political philosophy, I have struggled with my vain obsession with makeup for years.  My internal struggle with my love of Sephora and my hardcore feminist beliefs used to be epic.  

Was I a hypocrite?  How could I call myself a feminist if I bought makeup and put forth a face beautified by makeup, something that a lot of feminists believe to be a literal application of patriarchal standards?

In my sophomore year of college at Pitt, I took a feminist theory class and discovered that just like any political philosophy, there are different applications of any theory.  I learned that there isn't just one type of feminism, just like there isn't one type of woman.  

Years later, I have finally figured out a way to marry my love affair with makeup... mascara in particular.... to my political convictions.   

Get ready.  I'm finally ready to declare that my name is Sally Turkovich.  And, I am a third wave feminist.  

And I am ready to declare to everyone that I love mascara. 

I freely admit it.  I love it.  I adore it.  I worship it.  I pray to the wonderful person who invented mascara. 

Nothing pleases me more on a dull Monday morning than getting up and slopping on the tar-like substance with that goopy little brush.  Dipping the brush in and out of that tiny gold and gray L’Oreal tube is almost sexual when you think about it.  

But, admitting that I think the mascara tube is sexual would be like admitting women actually have penis envy.  And, any sensible woman, which we all are, knows that’s not true.

So, no, my love affair with mascara isn’t about sex.  It’s about control: one day, I pile on the mascara.  The next day, I may go mascara free.  It’s all a matter of attitude. 

I happen to go for the smoky eyes nearly every day.  It makes people wonder what I look like with a bare face.  Little old me, controlling the way the world perceives me… now that is power, ladies. 

With that said, we come to the issue at hand:  makeup can be empowering.  It does not need to be viewed as a patriarchal way of dominating women. Third wave feminists believe that female sexuality and beauty defies definition and that patriarchy should have no bearing on how a woman presents herself to the world.

Most women who wear makeup are comfortable enough in their own skin.  They feel confident to embellish their best-loved features with a wondrous thing called makeup.  For me, it’s my eyelashes.  We wear mascara and blush and eye shadow and lipstick to draw more attention to what we love best about our own unique faces.

Granted, the old school philosophy is that makeup is made for the sheer purpose of letting women know that we're imperfect and that we need to cover up “imperfections” like freckles, or wrinkles, or red cheeks. 

But, you know what?  I don’t have that attitude and who says any other woman has to have that attitude? 

Makeup draws more attention to the parts of our faces we love.  It doesn’t divert attention.  Second-wave feminism told us that embracing "feminine" beauty meant that we accepted a male ideal about how women should look.

But now?  Now it’s the age of third-wave feminism and we can reclaim all of the playful and girlie things that second-wave feminism told us were bad.  Women, like me, who wear makeup don’t wear it to conform to the ridiculous male standards of beauty; I wear it because it’s fun and makes me feel good.  

And, any man in a relationship with a woman will tell you that he thinks his partner looks lovely with or without her mascara.

If I thought makeup was patriarchal, I’d have no part of it.  I’ve gone through phases where I let second-wave feminists tell me makeup is god-awful.  

It always made me step back from the commotion, take a look in the mirror… and fall in love with my mascara all over again. 

It’s a long affair we’ve had, my mascara and me.  And, like every affair, we’ve had our ups and downs.  The mascara is simply an extension of who I am, but like every relationship, balance is key. 

I don’t define myself through the makeup on my face.   I define myself through the  expressions on my face, the words from my mouth, the feelings in my bones.

All this from makeup?  Why not?  Makeup is harmless.  It’s just goo, but it's goo that can make you look in the mirror one day and find a smile on your face for no one but yourself and think, "Damn, here I come, everyone!"

And why?  Because you’re wearing mascara.  Or you’re not.  Whatever.  The point is, you control it.   Your eyes tell you when they need a little goop to face the day.  Your  eyes, not anyone else’s.  And certainly not a man’s.  That, my ladies, is a great big "fuck you" to the patriarchy.

*********************************

Sally Turkovich has another confession: she also uses Latisse to make her eyelashes grow longer and thicker.  She urges you to friend her on Facebook to get a full picture of who she is and what else she is passionate about, lest you think that she does nothing other than bat her lashes at herself in the mirror of her boudoir.**