To most people, there is an obvious split between the world of makeup and the parallel universe of the natural look. However, seven girls’ opinions and experiences with beauty norms refute this generalization.

Pathfinder: What are you feelings on makeup?

Makenzie Naylor, senior: I am obsessed. It is a huge part of my life. I’ve spent more money on makeup than I have on my car. I could buy a house with how much money I have invested in makeup.

Gabby Leon, sophomore: I don’t really have an interest in it. I just have the mindset that I don’t really need it.

Angie Sanfilippo, senior: At first I thought it was weird. In middle school, I saw people putting makeup on a lot and I just thought it was strange because I always saw makeup as a grown-up thing.

Sadie Hershenow, freshman: Sometimes I wear mascara or some eyeshadow, but that’s only ever when I want to look cute.

Gabi Thompson, junior: I feel if you want to wear it that’s cool but for me it just feels like I’m rubbing dirt on my face. I prefer the natural look more.

Alyssa Foy, junior: I love makeup. It’s expressive.

Remi Aalfs, senior: I think that makeup is one of the coolest forms of self expression, and that it can be empowering, creative and artistic.

How did these opinions form for you?

Naylor: I probably didn’t start loving loving it until sophomore year of high school; it’s when I started experimenting with colors and different sorts of things. I started going onto YouTube and watching all these beauty gurus. I would go into Sephora  to look at makeup, and it was just beautiful. When I was a junior, my mom bought me a Naked three palette for Christmas and that’s that’s when it kinda went downhill. That’s when I started spending copious amounts of money on makeup, so I just fell in love with it.

Sanfilippo: My friends. It was a lot of their influence; they aren’t really into makeup either and my family never introduced me to it. I never caught onto it. I would rather spend time outside.

Hershenow: I see makeup as something you wear when you dress up or want to look cute. My mom always said makeup is supposed to enhance your beauty not to put more features on your face.

Thompson: Sometimes I walk around and see people with perfect eyeliner and lipstick and I just think ‘I want to do that’. But then I remember I like me the way I am.

Foy: I wasn’t allowed to do it at first, so naturally I felt like I should do it.

Aalfs: I started loving makeup when it became a routine. I started having fun practicing with my eyeliner and it’s just kind of evolved from there.

Do you have family members who have influenced your views on makeup?

Naylor: No. My mom doesn’t really wear makeup and my older sister did, but she never taught me how to do anything. I just started doing it when I was in middle school and no one told me not to.

Leon: My mom always told me that less is more, so I’ve known that I don’t need to wear makeup since natural beauty is key.

Sanfilippo: My parents didn’t really introduce me to makeup. They thought if I found it on my own then they would go from there, but they never really pushed me to wear or try it.

Hershenow: Yeah, my mom and my sister always thought natural beauty is the most important and that you don’t need to put a bunch of stuff on your face.

Thompson: My mom and my auntie don’t wear much makeup, but my grandmother does and she looks great.

Foy: I used to watch my mom do makeup and I would experiment in it myself. I loved seeing how she did everything; she did not want me to wear makeup through. At one point, I decided I wanted to be a makeup artist but that was encouraged to be nothing more than a back up plan.

Aalfs: Yes, my female relatives and friends–both girls and guys–have fun with makeup, are really talented and do cool things with it.

At what age should girls wear makeup?

Naylor: I probably started wearing makeup in fifth grade. Now that is ridiculous and if I could change that I probably would because I feel being that young, I really didn’t understand why I was using it. I put it on because girls wear makeup.

Foy: I think middle school is a safe time to begin trying makeup.

What do you think of girls who wear a lot of makeup?

Leon: I support them. If you wear makeup, good for you and if you don’t, good for you.

Sanfilippo: It’s okay for them. I just don’t think it’s necessary.

Hershenow: It’s their choice; if they want to wear makeup, they can. I just don’t understand why they need to, but I’m not going to stand in their way.

Thompson: I feel like if they’re doing it for themselves, then yes, it’s great, go ahead and wear a lot of makeup. But if you’re doing it to impress somebody, then it’s not worth it. If someone doesn’t like you for you, than what’s the point?

#pwestthisisme