Larena Tannert is a journalism sophomore and opinion columnist for Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
Every morning, I spend 45 minutes in front of my mirror achieving the perfect I just rolled out of bed looking this pretty face. The goal? To have someone say, “You look so good without makeup!” while I’m secretly wearing at least ten different products.
It’s like we are all participating in a collective delusion. The beauty standard isn’t just to look perfect, it’s to look perfect without trying. Not a chance someone catches you putting effort into your appearance! That would be embarrassing. Better to pretend you just happened to wake up with poreless skin, a smooth complexion and naturally flushed cheeks.
Let’s be real: the most prized compliment in the beauty world isn’t “your eyeshadow is amazing” – it’s “your skin is naturally perfect.” The irony is comical. We spend hundreds of dollars on a foundation that looks like skin, mascara that subtly darkens and lengthens lashes and blush that mimics a “natural flush.”
The math doesn’t add up. I spend $38 on a foundation specifically marketed to be undetectable. I apply it with a $18 brush designed to make it look like I’m not wearing foundation at all. Then I have the audacity to say “Thanks, I’m not wearing any makeup today!” when someone compliments my complexion.
Taylor Davis, a second-year agricultural systems management major, also prefers a natural makeup look and often feels pressure to look effortless. “I feel less seen when I’m not in line with social standards. It makes me feel like I won’t be treated as positively if I don’t conform to social beauty standards,” Davis said.
Social media has turned this contradiction into an art form. The same influencer who posts a 20-minute tutorial on achieving “that natural glow” later captions her photo #nomakeup. We know it’s not true. She knows we know it’s not true. Yet we all play along.
The cosmetic industry takes advantage of this paradox as well. Advertising a new $45 ‘Woke Up Like This Foundation,’ or a $36 ‘Born This Way Concealer.’ Translation: “Pay us top dollar to look like you paid us nothing!” And we comply! I do it too! The perfect concealer is the one no one can detect and I’ll complacently pay a high price for that natural look.
The irony reaches its peak with brands like “The Original No Makeup Makeup.” Their entire business model revolves around charging premium prices for products specifically formulated to look like you’re wearing nothing at all. They’ve built a successful empire selling a $30 foundation brush and a $55 foundation and that promises to make you look like you naturally have perfect skin. The brand name itself is a prime example of our collective desire for makeup that doesn’t look like makeup.
This isn’t just about makeup. We’ve become experts at creating this front, and this effortlessness in all aspects of our lives. We carefully select “casual” outfits. We rehearse “spontaneous” photos. We even downplay study efforts to make good grades seem like they came naturally.
The ultimate flex isn’t looking good – it’s looking good “naturally.” As if needing effort somehow makes the result less valuable.
“Everyone should be honest about whether or not they are wearing makeup. We are all beautiful no matter what,” Davis states.
Maybe it’s time we as women truly embraced actual natural beauty instead of just pretending to. What if we transferred all that time, money, and mental energy we spend on looking “effortlessly perfect” toward accepting our genuine, natural selves?
There’s something liberating about showing up as you are, dark eye bags and uneven skin tone, and being completely honest about it. True confidence isn’t having flawless skin, it’s being comfortable in whatever skin you have. And there’s nothing more authentically beautiful than not needing to pretend that you woke up looking perfect—because you know you’re enough exactly as you are.
Next time someone compliments my “natural beauty,” maybe I’ll try something radical: “Thanks! It took me an hour and $200 worth of products to look this effortless.”