Women take to social media to share half-and-half selfies to show they’re beautiful with or without makeup

Jun 27, 2015 08:04 GMT  ·  By

Earlier this month, a makeup tutorial from beauty vlogger Nikkie went viral (it’s now sitting at over 17 million hits), not because it showed a new dramatic look, but because it aimed to show “the power of makeup” and, at the same time, to urge people to stop makeup-shaming women.

Nikkie argued, as you can see in the video below, that makeup was entirely a matter of choice, and that women were beautiful both with and without it. She’s started a revolution, it seems.

#ThePowerOfMakeup campaign goes viral

In the tutorial, Nikkie applied makeup only to one half of her face, leaving the other completely bare. She had had people tell her they didn’t believe the woman in her dolled up photos was her, so she provided them with a before and after shot, basically.

However, she hadn’t done it so they could compare but to tell them that she felt beautiful and confident both with a bare face and when she was glammed up for a night out on the town. In the end, whether she chose to put on makeup was her choice, depending on how she felt, because she was certainly not doing it to please others or meet their expectations of her.

At the end of the video, Nikkie also told her fans and followers to share their own half-and-half photos and stories. It seems that her message struck a chord with many women from all over the world, so the hashtag #ThePowerOfMakeup is still going strong on Twitter and Instagram.

Women have followed through with Nikkie’s request and are posting photos with only half a face of makeup, together with statements on how makeup doesn’t define them or, for that matter, shouldn’t be a prerequisite when speaking of beauty.

Social media, a powerful tool

Social media is proving to be a very powerful tool for women standing up for themselves. In recent months, more and more campaigns for female empowerment, mostly directed at bringing down pre-set notions of beauty, have been going viral and, as such, getting international media attention.

#ThePowerOfMakeup is only the most recent. #EffYourBeautyStandards is another, very popular and new one, this time aimed to show the world that beauty isn’t limited to a number on the scales or the dress size.

Whether they’re speaking out to “claim back” armpit hair, to say that curves are beautiful, or to push back against expectations to always look impeccable with makeup, women are turning to social media to do it.

 
When a MUA gets boring on a saturday eve😂 Nah I just wanted to do what the amazing @nikkietutorials did. I love makeup as much as i love looking natural. I do makeup for ME and not to impress anyone! #nikkietutorials #hudabeauty #makeuptalk #makeupbymario #maccosmetics #morphegirl #naturalbeauty #makeupartist #jaclynhill #MUA #redlips #halfface #anastasiabeverlyhills #beautyblender #vagas_nay #thepowerofmakeup A photo posted by Priscilla Amanda💄 (@mua.p) on Jun 13, 2015 at 12:12pm PDT
😳🎨💄#ThePowerOfMakeUp #ThePowerOfMakeupChallenge #nikkietutorials #PowerOfMakeup A photo posted by @__ivonnez on Jun 27, 2015 at 12:17am PDT
When someone asks me who I'm trying to impress, the answer is always myself! #thepowerofmakeup Post your Power of Makeup picture and join the movement to show women we are beautiful WITH and WITHOUT makeup!! A photo posted by SAMMY!!!! (@samantha_cc_malik) on Jun 27, 2015 at 12:08am PDT
This whole #ThePowerOfMakeUp trend that's been going 'round this last week got me a little curious, so I thought I'd try it out. 💄💅💋 #holyshit #selfie #challenge #makeup #humanetchasketch #girls #why #selfies #naturalvsmakeup #powerful #skin A photo posted by Laura 💋 (@hickoii) on Jun 26, 2015 at 11:31pm PDT
#ThePowerOfMakeup =)))))) Chả thấy đẹp lên mấy =)))))) Buồn thế =))))) Đú đởn theo trào lưu mà xem ra ko có số đú đởn 😭😭😭😭 A photo posted by Ngọc Linh (@real_galaxy287) on Jun 26, 2015 at 11:25pm PDT
Can we just appreciate the power of makeup please #thepowerofmakeup #australis @australiscosmetics #elf #rimmel A photo posted by Holly Ellis 🐲 (@hollyhomicide_) on Jun 26, 2015 at 10:47pm PDT
This is #ThePowerOfMakeup I post lot of pictures on here with or without makeup because honestly I just don't have time and I'm lazy haha I'm comfortable either way, all dolled up or Natural. Makeup doesn't define who I am whether I choose to wear it or not, it's ok to be confident and people shouldn't shame others if they decide to wear some lipstick or not. Love yourself and the skin your in! ❤️ #Makeup #NoMakeup #EffYourBodyStandards #Curvy #CurvyGirls #Confidence #Blondegirls #Natural #Cosplay #Cosplayer #California #LosAngeles #Art #Positivity #Love I challenge @prettywreckcosplay and @candiedeath to post yours! My fav cosplay ladies❤️ A photo posted by Vicky Sweets (@vickysweets23) on Jun 26, 2015 at 10:42pm PDT
#Thepowerofmakeup I love makeup not because i can become someone else diferent, but because i feel like i'm an artist #makeup #eyeliner #mascara #lipstick #concealer A photo posted by Dasha Hoang (@dashahoang) on Jun 26, 2015 at 10:28pm PDT
@marianasanch introduced me to this trend called #thepowerofmakeup. I love makeup so much, but since I work so much I never really wear it. I never wore it because I didn't like the way I looked, I wore it because I liked it and I liked playing around with different looks. So here's me! With half a full face of makeup! And I like both sides equally. A photo posted by S U S A N A (@chase_butley) on Jun 26, 2015 at 10:26pm PDT
#ThePowerOfMakeup because when people ask who I did my make up for the answer is always "for me". Make up is fun and a different creative outlet and the assumption that girls wear it just for boys attention is horrifying. Pull ya heads out ya asses, they're not hats. 💕 so I challenge you, ma cher, take up this #makeupchallenge and show the world the face you made and the face you were born with, because both are beautiful. 😘💋 A photo posted by Maea Dennis (@maearose) on Jun 26, 2015 at 10:19pm PDT
#thepowerofmakeup No todas usamos maquillaje por inseguridad, sólo nos gusta vernos mejor de vez en cuando. A photo posted by Ingrid (@ingridg_cm) on Jun 26, 2015 at 8:46pm PDT
#thepowerofmakeup 💕👄💅🏼 joining the stand against makeup shaming. I choose to wear makeup for myself because I enjoy it, not for anyone else. A woman should be free to choose fresh face or made up, so here's both because I'm easily proud of both. Enjoy yourself ladies, wear all the makeup you want. 😘😎 A photo posted by Liz💕 (@eveehill24) on Jun 26, 2015 at 8:16pm PDT