Makeup has been a staple on almost everyone's vanity tables and royal halls for millennia. As a woman, even if I have a love-hate relationship with makeup, I can feel the passion of beauty experts, gurus, influencers, and daily users worldwide. And with the right makeup skills, who can deny the confidence boost it gives due to the additional colors that make facial features pop? Our makeup quotes below perfectly capture the various impacts of these everyday items on confidence, equality, the environment, and many more.
Whether for yourself or someone else, it’s also worth noting the negative impact of cosmetics on the environment. All those single-use plastic bottles simply won’t do. Thankfully, these days, zero-waste makeup options shun plastic packaging. Here are the essential makeup items you can search for: foundation, concealer, eyeshadow palette, mascara, eyeliner, blush, and lipstick.
Add more color to life as you read our makeup quotes below
Quick links to our selection of makeup quotes:
Historically, makeup was initially made for the commoners, royalties, and soldiers, both men and women. However, cosmetics know no gender, but their reputation fluctuates throughout centuries in every society.
As early as 6000 BC, Egyptians wore eye makeup out of a black powder called kohl to please the gods. Influenced by Stoicism, Romans saw cosmetics as mere vanity since Stoics value inner beauty.
Meanwhile, during the Middle Ages in Europe, pale skin with minimal color was all the rage for the upper classes. Even Queen Victoria I declared makeup as vulgar for its connection with prostitution. In the 20th century, the rise of films and television also increased the modern-day makeup industry. This video shows how makeup for women in the USA has changed in a century.
If you use or are curious about cosmetics, you will appreciate our best makeup quotes below.
"I believe that all women are pretty without makeup, but the right makeup can be pretty powerful."
"To me, the essence of truly modern makeup is the freedom to be yourself, to express who you are."
"Caring about beauty, it is necessary to start with the heart and soul. Otherwise, no makeup will not help."
"You can be a woman who wants to look good and still stand up for the equality of women."
"My dad used to say makeup was a shallow girl's sport, but it's not. It's armor."
The correlation between makeup and confidence varies depending on one's situation. According to a study of over 1,400 women, those who are content with their physical appearance or have high general self-esteem don't use as much makeup. In comparison, the ladies with lower social self-esteem use makeup and spend more on it1.
No matter how we perceive makeup usage, we should be kind to others who see it differently.
Whether you use cosmetics or not, you can overflow with confidence. But if you use it, here are our makeup quotes you can relate to building confidence.
"I'm very proud of my skin and face, and I have no problem not wearing makeup. I don't wear makeup because I feel like I need to cover myself up or because I don't feel confident. I wear makeup because it's fun; it's like painting on my face."
"To me, being beautiful is just accepting myself. I feel beautiful when I'm wearing makeup; I feel beautiful when I'm not wearing makeup."
"When I put on makeup, I'm not doing it to pander to antiquated patriarchal ideals of feminine beauty. I'm doing it because it makes me feel good."
"I don’t wear makeup for others the same way I don’t decorate my house for others. This is my home and everything I do is for me."
"Lipstick is really magical. It holds more than a waxy bit of color - it holds the promise of a brilliant smile, a brilliant day, both literally and figuratively."
"Makeup is an art form for me. It's a form of expression, and it's such a cool way to get my creative juices flowing."
"I've always believed that makeup is a form of self-expression and there is no shame in experimenting with it."
Makeup, like nail polish, fashion, and other beauty products, is a self-expression of our outer beauty. It can increase or complement the real beauty inside that we already have.
In pursuit of natural beauty, the "no makeup" makeup look rose to fame thanks to the celebrities who supported the #nomakeup movement in 2016. If you're expecting lower sales in makeup, you're wrong. This oxymoronic trend is forecast not to affect the estimated positive revenue growth of the industry until 2026.
After watching tons of tutorials on natural makeup, I learned that the best foundation is healthy skin. But in the end, true beauty goes deeper than our skin. So stay kind and beautiful as you read the following makeup quotes below, makeup lovers.
"Makeup is not a mask that covers up your beauty; it's a weapon that helps you express who you are from the inside."
"I love natural beauty, and I think it's your best look, but I think makeup as an artist is so transformative."
"I'm a big believer in that if you focus on good skin care, you really won't need a lot of makeup."
"Beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin."
"Keep it simple. You don't want to overdo it with too much makeup or crazy, over–the–top hairstyles. Let your natural beauty show through."
"Skin care is so much more important than makeup. Makeup is for when you're having fun and going out. But your skin is forever."
"I like to make the best of what I have. I'm not a supermodel, clearly. I'm not a makeup artist. I'm a real woman."
"Calliope leaned forward on the vanity, which was littered with gleaming silver beauty wands and powders and a fresh mani color mitt—all of it arrayed carefully before her like weapons polished and laid out for battle. Her own lethal tools, which had always made her so dangerously beautiful."
The makeup industry is about more than just getting pretty. It can also be inspirational. Like other business innovators, the makeup world also has people who set trends and changed the game.
For example, red was all the rage until Bobbi Brown released ten natural shade lipsticks in 1991. In the 1980s, inside a kitchen in Canada, the owners created the well-known brand MAC out of frustration with the lack of cosmetics that would look good in photos. Everyone can be successful entrepreneurs like the owners of these prominent makeup brands because the power to create is in our hands.
Be inspired by more humble beginnings after reading makeup quotes from famous personalities in the beauty industry.
"That's one of the things I love about makeup – you can change your whole attitude by just doing your eyeliner or lipstick differently."
"Makeup is about balance. When the eye makes a statement, the lips should be quiet."
"Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick."
"I do put on a little makeup every day because it helps me feel put together. Mascara is essential."
"I believe in manicures, I believe in overdressing, I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick."
"Your eye makeup says so much about you and your style."
"We, makeup artists, are a unique bunch of people; we don't have the classic brain, the classic training, but we're creative, so we figure it out."
"If you don't want to put on any makeup, try some fake eyelashes. They make your eyes pop and give you a little confidence boost."
The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural.
~ Calvin Klein
There's no denying that the cosmetics industry thrives, even if we all have funny and embarrassing moments. All makeup users have experience wearing thick eyeliner, cakey foundation, or too much blush. As we go through all the products and tools, there's no denying we generate waste.
Due to marketing strategies, brands invest too much in packaging. Packaging materials have become the top source of waste for the industry. In fact, 70% of waste from makeup comes from the packaging alone2.
Don't get us wrong. We still want you to use makeup. That's why we compiled our list of zero-waste makeup brands you can start supporting now. Check it out after reading our funny makeup quotes below. And remember, whether you're a committed makeup junkie or occasional wearer, you can find loads of sustainable options out there.
"I hate wearing makeup because I am just too lazy to take it off at night."
"Honey, I am going to my grave with my eyelashes and my makeup on."
"I can't wear a little makeup. I have to wear a lot of makeup or no makeup."
"When I'm wearing makeup, I choose between doing my eyes or mouth because I don't want to look like a beauty pageant child."
"All the makeup in this world can never cover up an empty brain."
"The only way I’d be caught without makeup is if my radio fell in the bathtub while I was taking a bath and electrocuted me and I was in between makeup at home. I hope my husband would slap a little lipstick on me before he took me to the morgue."
Every makeup user's social media feeds are full of beauty-related content. The industry is very visual and highly benefits from platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. As a curious little girl, I learned makeup basics from YouTube videos. So, it's no surprise that brands and influencers are harnessing the power of social media platforms.
With all the industry's attention, there's no doubt they can start movements. As mentioned earlier, there's the No Makeup movement. There's also the movement of more color shades for women of color and the rise of gender-neutral makeup for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Create ripples in society with cosmetics on social media with our short makeup quotes below.
"Whether I'm wearing lots of makeup or no makeup, I'm always the same person inside."
"I love the confidence that makeup gives me."
"The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy."
"To me, beauty and makeup and color is like the finishing touch on everything."
"Creativity is your best makeup skill, don’t be afraid to experiment."
"Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world."
"Joy is the best makeup. But a little lipstick is a close runner-up."
"Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched."
Never ask a girl with winged eyeliner why she's late.
~ Unknown
Treat your makeup like jewelry for the face. Play with colors, shapes, structures- it can transform you
~ Francois Nars
Beauty is power, and makeup is something that really enhances that; it's a woman's secret.
~ Charlotte Tilbury
I grew up in a makeup chair. And to see the women around me getting ready was so aspirational. It's about mothers and daughters, a girl watching her mom at a vanity table.
~ Drew Barrymore
Consider the fact that maybe... just maybe... beauty and worth aren't found in a makeup bottle, or a salon-fresh hairstyle, or a fabulous outfit. Maybe our sparkle comes from somewhere deeper inside, somewhere so pure and authentic and REAL, it doesn't need gloss or polish or glitter to shine.
~ Mandy Hale
| 1 | Mafra AL, Silva CSA, Varella MAC, Valentova JV (2022) The contrasting effects of body image and self-esteem in the makeup usage. PLoS ONE 17(3): e0265197. |
| 2 | The courage to change (Pdf, 2020) British Beauty Council |
Isabela is a determined millennial passionate about continuously seeking out ways to make an impact. With a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering with honors, Isabela’s research expertise and interest in artistic works, coupled with a creative mindset, offers readers a fresh take on different environmental, social, and personal development topics.
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