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Why I Love Makeup

2014-07-01 · letter vlog · John, Bridget · 2:42 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Everyday life (also: Personal life) · mode: Personal essay · tags: guest or collab

While a makeup artist does his face, John explains why he loves makeup: it feels good, works like beautiful armor, stops him touching his face, and he simply likes how he looks - not because of how others see him.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — VidCon was 72 hours of sensory input; The Colbert Report meant makeup; John meets makeup artist Bridget and loved being made up on the movie tour

  • ★★ John says VidCon was so fun he took hardly any video; it was basically that level of sensory input for 72 straight hours. (playful) — 00:00:00 · VidCon
  • ★★ Before VidCon, John was on The Colbert Report, which meant having his makeup done. — 00:00:06 · VidCon
  • ★★ John tells makeup artist Bridget he is super into getting his makeup done; he had it done throughout the movie tour, with touch-ups all day, and felt so good about himself. (hedged) — 00:00:17 · The Fault in Our Stars (film)

00:00:37 — John's makeup thoughts: his high-school view, four reasons he likes makeup, women don't wear makeup for men, why he won't wear it daily, YouTube tutorials, Hank cool for wearing makeup in high school

  • ★★ John confesses that in high school he told people they didn't need makeup, while himself choosing clothes carefully - so he knew humans don't present themselves 'just the way they are'. — 00:00:37
  • ★★★ John's first two reasons for liking makeup: it feels good to touch your face gently and kindly, and it works like beautiful armor that makes him feel more confident and protected. — 00:00:58
  • ★★ Third, John, a self-described massive hypochondriac, finds he touches his face less when wearing makeup because his face isn't dry and itchy. — 00:01:18
  • ★★★ John says he used to think women wore makeup for men, a view from a sick, deep part of the patriarchy that imagines women orient themselves toward attracting men rather than their own lives. — 00:01:31
  • ★★★ Fourth, John likes the way he looks in makeup; he gets no pleasure from imagining how TV viewers see him or being more attractive - it simply makes him happy. — 00:01:50
  • ★ John adds that lots of people don't like wearing makeup, which is totally cool. — 00:01:59
  • ★★ John probably won't wear makeup daily: partly laziness, partly being 'tragically un-immune to social conventions', partly being spoiled by professionals like Bridget. (hedged) — 00:02:07
  • ★★ The experience has made John a big fan of makeup and of YouTube makeup tutorials; he links his favorites in the doobly-doo. — 00:02:19 · YouTube, doobly-doo
  • ★★ John tells Hank he thinks Hank is super cool for having worn makeup in high school. (hedged) — 00:02:24 · Hank Green

00:02:31 — The big reveal; congratulations to Hank on VidCon; sign-off

In the description and comments

  • ★ Among his favourite makeup tutorials John also links SprinkleOfGlitter's everyday makeup routine, a tutorial from Tanya Burr, Patricia Bright's everyday makeup routine and Zoe's spring makeup tutorial. — video description · YouTube
  • ★ John lists a dozen beauty YouTubers he has enjoyed watching lately and asks viewers to leave their own recommendations in the comments. — video description · YouTube

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: cosmetics

Also: Bridget · doobly-doo · patriarchy · social norm · The Colbert Report · The Fault in Our Stars (film) · VidCon · YouTube

Only in the description or credits: Akilah Hughes · BeautyCrush · Essie · Patricia Bright · SprinkleOfGlitter · Tanya Burr · Zoe

Also centred on cosmetics: Cute Goth Shock Collar Trivia Punishment for Charity

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