If you open Instagram, your feed will probably look like a collage of bold lips, smoky eyes, baking, blending and contouring. It seems like everyone from influencers to your 14-year-old cousin is trying out a new look during quarantine. And why shouldn’t they? 
Makeup is something that, whether we realize it or not, affects our daily lives. Even if you personally choose not to wear makeup, you still encounter it scrolling through social media or when interacting with other people. 
On social media alone, we probably see hundreds if not thousands of pictures of people wearing or putting on makeup daily. Between Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, makeup has become nearly unavoidable, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Unlike some other visual arts, make up is highly accessible to the public. Almost every drug store has all the basic supplies you need to start creating stunning looks, and the only canvas you need is right in front of you: your face.
While some people criticize makeup users for painting their faces and covering up natural beauty, I think the opposite is true. Makeup allows people to become more confident in their own skin. After all, in order to successfully apply makeup, you need to be aware of and comfortable with your own unique facial features. Makeup allows the user to see beauty not only in their physical body, but also in their talents and abilities.
Makeup is hard. It takes time and energy to master the perfect cat eye or to get even eyebrows. Like any art form, it takes practice to develop the proper skillset, and, with ever-changing makeup trends, it’s a fast-paced and innovative hobby.
Painting or sketching, while also rewarding artistic pursuits, don’t provide the same satisfaction and self-confidence that makeup does. Painting a beautiful landscape gives you the satisfaction of having made a piece of art, but doing your makeup gives you the satisfaction of being a piece of art. 
Social distancing is necessary but boring. Everyone is looking for something to do while stuck inside all day, and learning new makeup techniques or trying out new looks checks all of those boxes. 
Whether hours spent scrolling through Instagram have inspired you to pick up your own makeup brush, or you just need an outlet for pent-up energy during quarantine, or online finals have got you feeling overwhelmed, makeup could be the right hobby for you. 
Marie Plunkett is a 21-year-old classical studies junior from New Orleans.