Really interesting take. I usually see makeup as oppressive, because I didn’t grow up wearing it, so personally, it was something male partners pushed on me. (Gifting makeup to your partner who has expressed zero interest in makeup is not cool.)

Then I went to Italy and saw all the badass women in red lipstick. I loved what I saw — a different feeling of femininity than I was used to — and so I bought some red lipstick (and a black sequined dress and black pleather jacket) while I was there. And I do feel like a badass when I wear it, though I also feel like a badass when I don’t, haha.