Substances used to alter the appearance of a person, normally their face, for various reasons.

Often used by actors and actresses for stage, television, and movies to enhance the appearance, and make certain features more or less visible. In fact, just about anyone appearing on television has at least a little bit applied to reduce and/or prevent shine or glare off the skin from the strong lights often used to illuminate the scene.

Can be taken to the extreme when a person is playing a character that is different in their features, such as making a person appear older or younger, skinnier or heavier, disfigured or scarred, or even appearing non-human altogether.

The term is also often used to refer to cosmetics, makeup which is worn daily by women (and a few men, at least in some circumstances/cultures) to enhance their appearance.

Cosmetics applied in order to give the appearance that you are walking into society without having to apply anything, supposedly enhancing your natural beauty.
In reality, a false sense of self that allows a woman to feel as if she is really as beautiful as the women in the magazines that she strives to emulate.

Beauty is not on the surface in people
People that I love are beautiful to me
They shine
It doesn't matter how they look
In fact, scars make them more real
More human
Intimacy is knowing what this scar is from
And that
Knowing their stories
That they trust me to tell me
People that I love are beautiful

I have been wearing makeup
I never cared before really
Until a book by an artist
Showed me his vision
The beauty that he sees in everyone
I call it my paint by numbers makeup book
Because he is a true artist
Who believes that art is for everyone
And so he includes instructions for each picture
So that I too can dabble in his art

I will wear makeup at my family summer lake
I do not think my family will approve
Nor do I think they will understand
They may comment
I will say that I am trying to catch a new man
This will confirm their disapproval
I will break the rules by wearing makeup
Which is exactly the point
But I am also celebrating beauty
The beauty that the Beloved sees
In everyone

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