Much like art, makeup allows for a degree of ambiguity—what you see might not be exactly what someone else sees. And that’s the beauty of it.
When we apply makeup, we’re not just enhancing features; we’re offering others an interpretation of ourselves, a visual story they get to process and understand in their own way. Ambiguity in makeup, like art, leaves room for interpretation, sparking curiosity and reflection. The effect beauty has on others is a mirror of their own minds, reflecting their thoughts, assumptions, and emotions back at them.
We don’t simply see makeup, we interpret it. Every shade, contour, and highlight carries a subtle message influenced by the wearer and received by the viewer. So, how much of our beauty routines are about crafting our own identity, and how much are we inviting others to interpret? And, in doing so, are we truly presenting a reflection of who we are, or is it an interpretation that leaves room for the viewer’s mind to fill in the blanks?
