Ruby
I’m a feminist, and I am not ashamed of my body. My self-image is perfectly fine. But for a really long time I didn’t want to be pretty in any way, as a sort of rebellion against unrealistic beauty standards. I didn’t use makeup, I didn’t wear “flattering” clothes, and I overall didn’t care what people thought about it. People asked me what my costume was supposed to be on Halloween when I wasn’t wearing one. When I dyed my hair purple, people asked me all day whether I was wearing a wig. Classmates would snicker when I mentioned that I wanted to do something in fashion when I grow up. And you know what? It didn’t bother me.
But one day I just sort of wanted to wear makeup. But! I didn’t want to “give in” to the media’s unrealistic portrayal of prettiness and flawless skin!
Then I had a little epiphany: I could wear makeup without wearing it for anyone else. I’m not giving in, because I’m not wearing it for them, I’m wearing it for me. Wearing whatever I want is the most effective rebellion, I think, because it means I’m making independent decisions. Nothing’s going to prevent me from dressing how I want or wearing whatever makeup I think looks good. So on go the cat-eyes, and down goes the guilt. ♦
Katherine, Happy belated birthday!!!
Log in to replyPS. I agree, friends sucks in comparison to the nanny or home improvement.
Ruby, I feel like I told myself the exact same thing this morning. I hate how whenever I dress nicely people always ask me who I’m dressing up for.
I’m seriously in love with all of you guys. PPS. How did you guys become writers for Rookie?
katherine, my friends also threw me a surprise party for my 18th birthday, like a month ago. the whole time i felt like THIS IS THE BEST I LOVE PARTIES I HAVE FRIENDS! but also like GO HOME WHY DID YOU MAKE ME FOOD I AM NOT SPECIAL ENOUGH FOR THIS! difficulties!
Log in to replyI totally agree with Ruby!! There is this guy that lives by me, and parents keep saying that I am dressing overly provocative for him. I mean i know red lipstick and heavy eyeliner can look too sexy sometimes, but I do it for myself because I feel good. and FYI he is not attractive. its so frustrating!! I love reading these stories, i can relate to them a lot! Especially the one about staring at bananas I do that a lot, I suffer from anxiety and sometimes you’ll see me staring at my shoes for hours or a lovely poster advertising how to check your testicles whilst in the doctors room.
Log in to replyNaomi-I’m so happy for you. That’s a really big step :-)
Log in to replyI 100% agree with you on the looks that people give me when I say I want to do something in fashion when I grow up. “What are your hobbies?” “Uhm…fashion, what else am I supposed to say??” Also, I used to completley not care what people thought of me and my outfits, but when I reached high school, I started to care more, this inspired me to wear the craziest outfit with the craziest cat eyes (which the cat eyes i have been wearing all week) and, tomorrow is a new day to not care what people think of me. :) Thank you:)
Log in to reply^^^about Ruby’s story
Log in to replyI also was inspired my Naomi’s story. It reminded me that tomorrow is a new day. :)
Log in to replyComfort isn’t synonymous with happiness- I needed to hear that, thanks)))
Log in to replyOh Dylan! I live like 15-20 minutes away from Oakland haha (not a stalker). Fun place… Chinatown is the bomb, and there’s this one Cambodian restaurant that you NEED to try! It’s called Phnom Penh House. The location is a little sketch, but the food is sooo good. And there’s no MSG!
Ruby, I want to get into makeup, but my parents are not too keen on that idea. They think that makeup is for girls who are insecure and don’t like how they look. I, however, just want to try it for fun! :(
Oh well, 2 more years till college heheh.
http://theaverageasiangirl.blogspot.com
Log in to replyOh, and I’m also interested in fashion. However, I live in the land of sweats, jeans, and uggs, and I don’t have the balls yet to wear what I want to wear. :o
Log in to replyHappy belated birthday, Katherine!
The Dear Diary feature contains my favorite articles on Rookie. Wish Rookie had been around when I was a teenager…It’s been a few years since I graduated high school, but reading these entries always brings back the old feelings.
Log in to replyRuby, I totally get your feelings about makeup. I have mixed feelings when I wear foundation because I’m not ashamed of my face, but I don’t really want to announce to the world that I’m breaking out and have a zit on my nose. Sometimes I just want to scrub off all the the products I put on my face and other times I wish I caked it on even more. I still am struggling with how I feel about it. When I do wear makeup I make sure that I’m doing it because it is something that I want to do and not because I feel pressured to look “pretty” or that I do it for attention from my boyfriend. Which I’m not saying is wrong but I would rather that he digs my face without mascara and eyeliner than with.
In writing this I realized that my feelings can’t exactly be put into quantifiable reasons. Sometimes I just feel gross in makeup and I feel as if it is like a mask that I hide behind. And I don’t want to hide.
Does anyone else feel the same? because I totally could be the odd woman out on this one
Log in to replyRuby! I’m 17 and I just started wearing make up last week and you are like, my TWIN! I love how much I GET this!
haha an 8 year old at my church told me I didn’t look like myself, and I needed to take a napkin and wipe my eyes off, and that I look like a grandma. Cracked me up.
Log in to replyDYLAN~~
Log in to replytry Pretty Penny on college for shopping//come on up to Berkeley and visit Cheeseboard (for wonderful pizza + jazz)
the Bay Area is wonderful I will be sad to leave it next year for college!!
p.s
there’s lots of good Indian food in oakland
… I love Friends. Please don’t kick me out of Rookie. :)
Log in to replyoh, i do too. i have just about every episode memorized. favorite season is either 4 or 5 or 6 (oops). KATHERINE, YOU’RE FIRED.
Log in to replyHaha reading Katherine’s entry made me go on YouTube and watch dozens of clips from Friends. I LOVE Friends. But please don’t fire Katherine, I like her diary too!
Love Minna’s illustration this week. Could you guys edit an album of Minna’s work? I would totally buy it.
Log in to replyI second this
Log in to replyDylan–I have way too many roots here. I’m desperate to transplant myself.
Log in to reply& Naomi; being in the line at Tesco is the scariest thing in the world sometimes. I freak out about whether people are judging the contents of my basket!
Katherine–I don’t like Friends. But all my friends do. Haha!
Ruby–Yes!!! My friend asked today if I was wearing blusher. For some reason I then got really self concious. I’m always hammering on about being a feminist & not calling other girls sluts, and then I can’t deal with admitting I wear makeup. It’s complicated, I guess.
DYLAN, i want to know more about what happened/is happening with crush boy!
Log in to replyI might take you up on that suggestion!
Log in to replyI understand exactly where you’re coming from, Naomi; hang in there, and good job sticking with it and getting the flour.
Log in to replyYoutube’s inadequate service is preventing me from watching Naomi’s video. SOPA protest?
Log in to replyRuby:
Log in to replymy thoughts put in better words exactly.
that is all.
The Nanny! First mention! I LOVE THE NANNY! I am also sad that they rarely show it on Nick anymore :(
Oh and this blog:
http://shouldbeonthenanny.blogspot.com/
{OH MY GOSH they use Mr. Sheffield for menswear now…*swoon*}
Log in to replyGOOOOOO RUBY!!
Fight the unrealistic standards given by society and the media (except Rookie, of course)!
p.s. this was all genuine enthusiasm– for some reason I tend to sound sarcastic when I’m completely serious, and this is one of those times
Log in to replyhappy birthday katherine! <3 my birthday is today (saturday the 21st) and Im still recovering from a bad flu…so however pathetic your birthday might have been, at least it wasnt spent throwing up and sleeping alternatively, which is how i predict today will go.
Log in to replyi hear u, Ruby!! same thing here…some people just didn’t ‘get it’ either way but that doesn’t have to stop u from doing what u know is true for yrself.
Log in to replyAh, RubyRubyRuby. I totally know where you’re coming from. I consider myself a feminist as well but I just always sort of liked wearing makeup. Some people have told me that I don’t need to, some boys have told me they’d prefer if I didn’t. Part of me started considering that I should maybe stop wearing makeup. But then I realized. I wasn’t wearing makeup because I was self conscious or I was covering something up or I thought I looked better with it or I wanted to be more attractive. I was wearing it because I like it. I like putting it on. I just like wearing it. So I realized that since I didn’t wear makeup for anyone but myself then it didn’t make much sense for me to stop wearing it to please anyone else either.
Log in to replyRuby, I sorta feel the same way.
Log in to replyI’m almost 17 now, and I rarely use make up,mostly because I’m lazy. Also, because I feel like if i wear it all the time, it’ll become my “regular face” and people will think it’s weird without make up. Since I wear it only occasionaly, people are always surprised, and I kind of like that.
I think wearing make up (or wanting to wear make up) isn’t the same as “giving in” to regular beauty standards at all! In the end, what matters is that you feel good about yourself.