There are many instances where I don’t wear makeup: around the house, to work, out and about, at parties. But there are some instances where I am almost certain to: if I know I’ll be required to speak in public.
Makeup is a type of armour. Some women don’t feel the need to wear it every day, others do. But whether it’s part of your daily routine or not, when you’re feeling a little low, a little unsure or in need of a boost, a lick of lippy, a dash of mascara, a brush of bronzer (whatever it is) is the fast-track to confidence. With makeup comes a game face. And when you’ve got your game face on, you can pretty much face anything.
This is why when Hillary Clinton made her first post-election speech without makeup, the internet did a double take. Here was the most talked about woman of the year, appearing in public for only the second time since suffering one of the most humiliating political defeats in American history, and she wasn’t even trying to look like she’d made an effort … WHAT was going on?
Speaking at the Children’s Defence Fund last Thursday, the former Democratic presidential candidate took to the microphone and made this admission to the Washington audience: ‘There have been a few times this past week when all I’ve wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house ever again.’
We can only imagine… And yet her appearance at the gala – scheduled pre-defeat – was evidence that Hillary is made of stronger stuff than that. She wasn’t going to hide away in the shadows of shame, she was going to show her face – all of it.
Naturally commentators had a thing or two to say about this. ‘Clinton gets mixed reaction after going makeup-free for speech’ ran a New York Post headline; ‘Vanquished Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is empowering — and also repelling — women’ it wrote. The Daily Mail created an entire box out devoted to the ‘story’. Comparing the look of Hillary, pre and post-election, in the latter section it observed: ‘Opts for the no makeup look, without a scrap of eye-shadow or eyeliner seen on Hillary in the days since she conceded. Under eye area also appears puffy’.
Yes, there were some positive headlines too, but however way you look at it, Hillary with no makeup on was all out NEWS. Why was this the case? Some pointed out it was because we’re used to seeing Hillary ‘made up’. Others have suggested the whole thing was a publicity stunt, to whip up sympathy for the former Senator, and an indication that she now just be bothered …
Whilst I don’t agree with the aforementioned reasons for it, I do agree with the stunt idea. Putting on makeup is hardly something a woman like Hillary (who has had to be image-aware for much of her life) would forget. And even if she (uncharacteristically) had forgotten, she had a team of minders around her who surely would have alerted her to it.
I think Hillary very much did it on purpose. And here’s why...
Hillary lost the presidential election campaign for a number of reasons. But arguably the fact she was considered by many to be untrustworthy contributed greatly to her defeat. Be it the email scandal, donations to the Clinton foundation, or rumours about her health, Hillary had been dogged by allegations of dishonesty for months – nay, years. Faced with this truth, how best to address it? By appearing as the most truthful version of yourself, naturally.
No one could accuse Hillary of pretending to be someone she wasn’t by standing up in front of that packed audience wearing zero makeup and announcing to the crowd (and also, the world) that: ‘coming here tonight was not the easiest thing for me’. Anyone wanting to see what the ‘real’ Hillary looked like, and sounded like, could see she was right there.
How unnerving for her opponents. To see that ‘untrustworthy’ politician, stand up and look so entirely real... Compare her to the orange-hued President Elect soon to be inaugurated and some disturbing distinctions can be drawn…
Yes I think Hillary Clinton not wearing makeup was a big, gigantic stunt. And a powerful ‘look what you’re missing’ one at that.