Makeup = Warpaint

"I wear makeup not to attract but to repel." ~ Shirley Manson

That is what the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, Garbage, said in a recent interview with Billboard magazine. Shirley Manson has always worn edgy makeup (though she has clearly lightened up - pardon the pun - over the years) and I always thought she looked fabulous. I remember admiring her makeup from Garbage's classic videos Only Happy When It Rains and Stupid Girl.

So, to read about her reasons for wearing makeup, I felt like a lightbulb went off in my head. I have been exploring my own personal makeup style over the last year, and I couldn't figure out the philosophy behind it. Well, OK, I could to some degree. After being harassed and hit-on by repulsive men, I decided to wear black eyeliner as a way to claim my looks. The eyeliner became like warpaint as I went on each day and faced a world filled with men with no respect for women. Me wearing eyeliner was me saying, "this is mine, not yours."

It's funny how some men think they own women. No matter how liberal and secular they are, some men really do treat women like property. Our faces are theirs to own. Our bodies are theirs. Our sexualities is theirs to taunt or play with. It's scary and repulsive. So, for me to put on black eyeliner is me saying, "This is mine. I'm ready to fight for what is mine."

Lately, I've been getting into lipstick. For a while, I wore pink colors and some red, but wasn't fully comfortable with the colors. But when I read Shirley's comment, I realized a good a reason to wear lipstick. I've been leaning towards bold colors as a way of being bold about my face. It's mine, not someone else's. It gives me more confidence in facing the world as it is.

Behold my pics from Instagram...

A photo posted by @dark_yet_sweet on Mar 26, 2016 at 8:20am PDT

A photo posted by @dark_yet_sweet on Mar 28, 2016 at 12:35pm PDT

Hello,

Welcome to Dark Yet Sweet, a fashion/personal blog that will document my evolution from being a total sweetheart to (hopefully) a much stronger woman.

A year ago, I went through a personal hell that forever alerted how I saw myself and the world. After months of anguish and healing, I came to the conclusion that I can no longer stay a sweet, nice person. I realized it was time for me to get tough, time for me to face and accept the harsh realities of myself, others and the way the world works.


The way to do this is to gain more self-confidence, and one way I am developing it is by changing my style. For years, I wore bright, happy feminine clothes that had no real personality. I dressed to feel beautiful because I felt ugly inside. But now, I am eschewing pastels and embracing darker clothes, particularly black. Doing so has made me feel stronger and more comfortable in my skin.

At the same time, my personal style is evolving. You may say that now, it is a feminine-boho-classical style, and it may stay that way. But chances are, it may turn into something else. I have lately been fascinated with goth subculture, having always been drawn to it since my teenage years. I've always loved goth fashion, especially the boho-goth and romantic/Victorian goth style. I drool over certain outfits. But I don't know if I qualify as a goth. Then again, there's so many definitions of one, so maybe I fit in somewhere. We shall see!

Also, my makeup is evolving. Last year, I went through a long period of borderline-sexual harassment that made me want to take ownership of my looks, rather than have them be at the mercy of sleazy men. The result is me wearing makeup to own, rather than attract. It's like warpaint as I go into the battlefield (i.e., being a woman in the world) and I'm fighting back. But I only wear basic makeup and do not have the strength for the full face.

As for jewelry and nail polish, I'm an addict. That's all you need to know :-)

So, this blog shall reflect my evolution as a person and as a person who believe what you wear reflects you. I will be posting photos and some posts from time to time.

Till then, enjoy!