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My simple, every day makeup look. A "natural" glowy look with brown eyeshadows, a pop of blush, and lipgloss.

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NikkiTutorials is a famous beauty influencer on YouTube. In 2015, Nikki created a video where she applied makeup to half of her face. She did this to fight the stigma that girls put on makeup for boys or they put on makeup because they are insecure. Her video sparked a movement and an article about the Power of Makeup was even featured in Glamour Magazine.

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This is my version of the Power of Makeup movement inspired by NikkiTutorials.

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8 ways in which makeup brands are giving back and how you can participate.

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For as long as the beauty industry has existed, it has been associated with words like "vain" and "frivolous." Here at Byrdie, however, we have a different perspective. The thing is, when we talk about hair, makeup, and skincare, we're not really talking about hair, makeup, and skincare. We're talking about what that specific style, shade, or product can do for the person wearing it. And if it happens to accentuate a person's natural beauty while giving them added confidence or bolstering their personal identity, well... we don't think that's so vain or frivolous. And we think everyone should be able to experience that.

There's so much more to being a beauty junkie than a love of products-there's an ethical, social, and environmentally conscious aspect to it as well. In fact, as a culture, we are consuming more consciously, and we are looking for more ways to give back. And there are so many beauty-related organizations that allow us to help out other people and the planet.

Here, we're highlighting eight incredible charities (and general practices) to support in your quest to give back through beauty.

For the month of May, Benefit is donating 100% of all proceeds from its brow wax services to charities empowering women; these include Girls Inc., The Princess Project, and Step Up. The brand has already raised and donated over $6.3 million dollars since 2015, so this is just the latest installment of its philanthropical pursuits. So, calling everyone in need of a May brow wax, we urge you to head straight for a Benefit brow bar.

The Look Good Feel Better Foundation works with the American Cancer Society and the Professional Beauty Association to provide free beauty services to women undergoing cancer treatment. Not only does it boost women's confidence, but it also provides a community setting for making connections and boosting morale. Beauty professionals are encouraged to volunteer their services. But even for those of us who aren't professionals, t here are many different roles to fill, like organizing group programs and providing assistance during makeup sessions.

Similar in mission to Look Good Feel Better, Lipstick Angels uses the power of beauty to lift patients' spirits. As the organization states, "Lipstick Angels provide complimentary, personalized one-on-one beauty and skincare services by professional makeup artists at the patient's bedside or while they are receiving chemotherapy infusions when they are at their most vulnerable." Volunteers and donations are always welcome.

This one's for the beauty-obsessed and animal-obsessed. This genius organization uses old mascara and brow wands to remove harmful pests like fly eggs, larvae, and ticks, from animals' fur. Mascara wands expedite the removal process, meaning our furry friends in need are made comfortable quicker. Go to the organization's website to learn where to send your clean brushes, donate, or volunteer.

This is another cause close to our hearts. Many trans and nonbinary people rely on donated beauty products to feel safe and secure in their identity, especially while transitioning. So donate that palette you were gifted or that shade of blush that you bought but never opened; it might end up being more impactful than you know. Call your local center to learn how to donate your unused beauty products.

There's no shortage of amazing beauty brands that partner with, donate to, or support positive organizations. Take, for example, Renée Rouleau 's Cosmetic Donation Program, where customers can mail their unused makeup and skincare products for them to donate to The Family Place, a shelter for women affected by domestic violence in Dallas.

Buying vegan and cruelty-free beauty products is also an easy way to ensure that you're not inadvertently supporting animal cruelty. Some of our favorite brands produce 100% vegan products, like Kat Von D, Milk Makeup, Pacifica, Le Labo, Hourglass, Too Faced, and Cover FX. So next time you're picking up a new palette or powder, check to see if it's on Leaping Bunny's approved cruelty-free list first.

This isn't exactly makeup-related, but it's a huge way beauty lovers can give back. For people who have lost their hair, a wig can offer a huge boost of confidence. Whether you donate to Wigs for Kids or Locks of Love, you're giving an incredibly impactful gift. So chop your hair into that bob you've always wanted to try, and send your strands to somebody who needs them.

We know it's hard to limit product purchases. As beauty editors, we relate to the beauty hoarder life. Buttoo much product is bad for the environment, your headspace, and your minimalistic aesthetic.

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8 Ways to Give Back If You're Obsessed With Makeup

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For as long as the beauty industry has existed, it has been associated with words like "vain" and "frivolous." Here at Byrdie, however, we have a different perspective. The thing is, when we talk about hair, makeup, and skincare, we're not really talking about hair, makeup, and skincare.

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Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy is about a boy named Carlos Duarte who has a sense of style better than most of the fashionistas in NYC and can apply makeup like nobody's business. He lands his dream job of being a makeup artist at the FeatureFace counter in Macy's. Throughout the book, Carlos discovers how competitive and cutthroat the makeup artist world is. He realizes that in order to read his dreams, he'll have to believe in himself more than ever before.

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James Charles has quickly become one of the most popular beauty influencers on YouTube after becoming the first boy to represent the COVERGIRL brand in a national commercial. James love to explore his creativity and artistry through makeup. He often draws inspiration from his followers.

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Foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush
Blend it all with a brush
Eyeshadown, mascara, eyeliner, highlight
We are going out tonight
Brow gel, lipliner, lipstick, lipgloss
Oh, he doesn't like it? His loss
We don't wear makeup for a boy
It is simply something we enjoy
Makeup is a form of expression
It can even be a borderline obsession
We don't wear makeup to hide
We wear makeup to show how we feel on the inside
Makeup allows us to be creative and free
Quite frankly, we couldn't care less if you disagree

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This video explores how drag queens use makeup to transform themselves. Makeup gives them the ability to transform into whoever they want. It gives them an avenue to express themselves, feel confident, and SLAY!

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How Drag Queens Use Makeup to Transform Their Faces and Your Viewing Experience

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Glow Up is a Netflix competition show that features aspiring makeup artists. Glow Up showcases the different types of makeup that some people may not even think of. The show also touches on the impact that makeup has had the the artists' lives.

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Fake eyelashes. Real tears. For a shot at beauty's big prize, hopefuls push their talents -- and nerves -- to the limit. Watch trailers & learn more.

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This article explore makeup as a form of self-expression through the eyes of a drag queen.

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Powerful. Confident. Beautiful. Free.

These are the words drag queen Jazmyn Simone used to encapsulate how she feels when wearing makeup.

Simone, a Los Angeles resident who grew up in Pomona, California, said she discovered makeup and drag simultaneously. She instantly fell in love with their transformative powers when she went to her first gay night club at 19 years old.

"I just thought the art of makeup was beautiful, and I could use that to make myself more beautiful," Simone said.

In addition to being a multibillion dollar industry, makeup is also a form of art - one that transcends all boundaries and empowers those who wear it long after it is wiped away at the end of the day. For Simone and countless others, makeup has the power to transform faces and lives.
Articulating the art
Senior Monica Pereda, who has been practicing makeup with her sisters since she was young, considers cosmetics her inspiration.

"I would definitely consider [makeup] an art just because it is a type of expression," Pereda said. "It's definitely like making a portrait on your face every single day ... It can make you look so different. Even the simplest things like adding eyeliner can totally just change your look."

Pereda emphasized that there are no rules in makeup and that everyone's look is unique with different styles and techniques. She said her favorite part of her routine is applying foundation because it creates "a blank canvas for you to do all of your artwork." Her passion for makeup derives from the creativity behind it.

Theatre Professor Melanie Watnick, who teaches a stage makeup class, said that because she defines art as an outlet for creativity, she considers makeup an art form.

"Art is a version of self-expression, and self-expression, when crafted, is something anybody can do," Watnick said. "Therefore, makeup is self-expression and can be considered a form of art."

Simone, who impersonates celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Beyoncé and Whitney Houston at Toucans Tiki Lounge in Palm Springs, VIP Nightclub in Riverside and Hamburger Mary's in Ontario, California, said makeup is the most artistic and creative outlet for drag queens. It enables them to transform into a desired persona and she considers her face a canvas on which she can paint any look she wants.

Makeup is art because "art is creating something from nothing," Simone said.
Simone said makeup gives her countless career opportunities; the shows' different themes require her to learn new techniques and styles, changing the way she views herself.

"Drag was something that I wasn't necessarily interested in at first but once I fell into it, I literally fell all the way in," Simone said. "I wanted to learn every aspect of it, and makeup was the most important one because that's how you portray a look. That's how you portray a character."
Mastering the makeup
Watnick said the way she teaches her makeup class is very similar to how one would teach an art class. In order to apply personal aesthetics, students must first learn the techniques, which include everything from the pressure of the brush to the correct amount of product on the palette.

Simone, who taught herself makeup and drew inspiration from the more experienced drag queens she encountered, emphasized that makeup is easier than it looks. However, she agreed with both Pereda and Watnick that mastering makeup, like any form of art, requires extensive time and practice.

"If you really want to perfect it and make it the art form that you want, you have to be patient with yourself," Simone said. "I've been doing drag for 13 years, and I can say that I barely perfected my face maybe about five or six years ago when I found the face that I wanted."

Simone's favorite part of her routine is doing her signature eye makeup look, which incorporates white eyeliner in her waterline and black eyeliner around the edges.

Pereda, who finds inspiration in YouTube tutorials and fashion, said she learned to appreciate her technical mistakes and views makeup as a learning process in which she is constantly improving.

"You're always going to have to learn something new ..." Pereda said. "It takes years, it takes time and wherever you're at now in the process of doing your makeup, that's OK, and you should be happy with that."
Influencing the industry
Many people don't know that several widely-used makeup techniques originated in the drag community.

"The culture of drag, which has been around for quite a while, has actually really influenced mainstream makeup and pop culture more and more without people even realizing it - like baking and contouring," Watnick said.

Watnick explained that because contouring makes features recede while highlighting makes features advance, many drag queens use these methods to create the illusion of different facial structures. Stage actors later adopted the technique to avoid looking washed-out from harsh lighting. Today, countless individuals contour and bake their faces on a day-to-day basis.

"I'm thrilled to be alive at a time where more and more we are able to wear things makeup-wise as a form of self expression," Watnick said. "That it's safer - not safe, but safer - to go outside in a glamorous face full of makeup as a man or a woman. That you could choose to do that, that men are also exploring makeup as a playful form of self- expression. I think it is a great thing to see because I don't think art should be related to gender."

In recent years, the number of male makeup artists, especially those in the spotlight, has increased dramatically. Beauty YouTubers such as James Charles, Jeffree Starr and Manny MUA have their own cosmetic lines along with millions of subscribers, while Mario Dedivanovic continues to transform the industry as Kim Kardashian's makeup artist.

Although Pereda said she is aware that drag queens introduced a variety of makeup techniques to the industry, she agreed that the majority of people are probably uninformed. She thinks that drag makeup appears to be a very dramatic transformation when in reality the individual steps in their beauty routines are extremely similar to the ones she uses.

Simone said both drag and drag makeup are forms of entertainment that have existed for many years.

"I'm just glad that it's all coming to the forefront and the drag community is getting looked at closer and is more appreciated," Simone said.
Creating confidence
Just as viewers critique a painting in a museum, Pereda said by wearing makeup, she is exposing herself to the opinions of others. She thinks people who do not understand the power of makeup often view it as a mask as opposed to a form of self-expression. Rather than concealing features she doesn't like about herself, makeup involves being confident enough to accentuate the features she loves.

"I'm confident more when I am wearing it," Pereda said. "And it's not because I feel less adequate or anything like that when I'm not wearing it. I just know that I act more like myself and I feel more like myself when I do wear makeup."

Simone said she also feels more like herself when she wears makeup and aims for others to understand how freeing it is for her to wear it on stage. When she first started wearing makeup, she assumed people only liked her because of her appearance but she eventually realized that they liked her for who she is.

"Makeup actually helps me be more confident in myself, as does drag, because growing up where I grew up, being gay and being into makeup wasn't anything that was OK," Simone said.

Pereda said the most meaningful aspect of makeup is the relationships that it fosters. The shared experiences of doing or even simply admiring someone else's makeup have created an instant sense of community with her sisters, her friends and even strangers. She believes that makeup is what enables each person to go into character each day and believes that makeup should not be limited to only certain people.

"If you want to wear makeup, wear it," Pereda said. "No matter if you're a boy, if you're a girl, anything. If that makes you happier with yourself, there's no reason why you shouldn't wear it."

Follow Makena Huey on Twitter: @MakenaHuey

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The Art of Makeup Transforms Faces and Lives ‹ Pepperdine Graphic

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Powerful. Confident. Beautiful. Free. These are the words drag queen Jazmyn Simone used to encapsulate how she feels when wearing makeup. Simone, a Los Angeles resident who grew up in Pomona, California, said she discovered makeup and drag simultaneously. She instantly fell in love with their transformative powers when she went to her first gay night club at 19 years old.

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Warm tone browns work best with my skin tone and eye color. This type of eyeshadow look goes with any lip color!

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My go-to night out look! A little bit classy and a little bit sassy!

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Making Faces is written by one of the worlds most famous and accomplished makeup artists Kevyn Aucoin. In this book Kevy Aucoin shares his secrets, explains the basics of makeup application, and going in depth about different techniques.