Over the weekend, this meme started circulating on social media. It footage a black lady — mid contour — reflecting on her actions. The caption says:
“Whenever you’re contouring and highlighting and notice that you just’re making an attempt to get extra eurocentric options.”
Contouring is a make-up method that defines and reshapes areas of the face utilizing pencils, lotions or powders.
Picture: Instagram.com/unconditionedroots
My first response to this meme was confusion. I proudly put on make-up and contour on particular events for an additional glam look, however I’ve by no means tried to appear like something apart from myself. To blanketly state that contouring is about wanting extra European is gross generalization.
For many years we’ve been conditioned to assume {that a} nostril with slender bridge and small nostrils is unique to white girls. It isn’t. Actually, Ethiopian and Eritrean girls dispel this fable fully. I admit, some black girls do slender their noses in an try to downplay the scale. However we’ve got to steadiness that with an understanding that ladies of African descent are extremely various in look.
Ethiopian lady. Picture: Niall Crotty
Moreover this meme implies that top cheek bones, a slender face and full lips — along with a slim nostril — are Eurocentric options that black girls want. However many have already got excessive cheek bones and full lips, that are an indication of magnificence in each African and black American tradition. Simply take a look at Sudanese mannequin Alek Wek, Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o or actress Kerry Washington. If something, there are 1,000,000 tutorials directing non-black girls on easy methods to get these options.
Alek Wek in 2007. Picture: Caroline Torem CRAIG/LFIANA
Lupita Nyong’o (Anthony Harvey/Getty Pictures)
Kerry Washington
Typically I believe individuals overlook what contouring really does. Like make-up usually, it’s a option to improve what’s already in your face. Do some take it overboard? After all. However contouring is a approach so as to add dimension and steadiness to your face. Like wigs, weaves, and clothes traits,it’s enjoyable and a approach for ladies to briefly attempt completely different seems to be. And whereas plenty of consideration is paid to nostril narrowing, plenty of contouring focuses on the form of 1’s eyes, chin, cheeks, lips and face.
For my part, it’s not a type of self-hate and a this meme appears to lump all black girls who contour into that class.
Take a look at these fierce black lady contours. Eurocentric who?
Girls, what are your ideas?
