When you’re dressing up for a special occasion or just a night out, what makeup looks do you usually go with? Colorful eyeshadow and a dramatic wing? A siren eye paired with dark lipstick? Natural, youthful glam with a baby pink lip gloss? Whatever you choose, doing makeup is only the beginning of a fun night out. Now, imagine doing your makeup like you normally do, only it’s eight in the morning and you’re about to head to your first class of the day.
That’s right. There is a whole group of students at Penn State that have been doing a full face of makeup in preparation for a day of learning. VALLEY has seen it all, from a Euphoria-inspired look with rhinestone-studded eyelids to a Marilyn Monroe-esque bold eyeliner and red lipstick pairing. There is no doubt that the people who wear makeup to their early morning classes are killing it.
Why get up early to put on makeup?
There could be multiple reasons that you might wear makeup to a nine a.m. class. In fact, studies show that wearing makeup can actually improve academic performance. A study was done on this phenomenon, and the results showed that wearing makeup could increase test results by up to 20% due to something called the “lipstick effect.” The lipstick effect is a term coined by journalists, meaning that people who buy makeup wish to gain confidence and feel good about themselves. After all, when you feel good about yourself, chances are that this confidence will help you do better in school.
What do Penn State students have to say about this?
To learn more about the experience of putting on makeup to go to class, VALLEY reached out to a student who does this every day. Maddy Schmitt, a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism, says that she herself experiences the lipstick effect.
“I initially started wearing makeup to school in 8th grade, and have continued all the way through my sophomore year of college right now. At first, a lot of it stemmed from insecurity since I was young and figuring myself out. But now I definitely wear makeup to feel more motivated and empowered, and absolutely view it as an art form that allows me to express myself.”
Clearly, makeup is an important part of many Penn State students’ daily routines. It allows you to express yourself in an environment where it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. It also gives students motivation to work as hard as they do and make it through the day.
Schmitt also told VALLEY that she likes to wear “full glam, so face makeup, eye makeup, false lashes, lipstick, etc.” (sic).
There’s a valuable lesson to be learned from students who decide to wake up early and go to class fully glammed up. When you do a good job on something, it raises your self-esteem levels. So, if you do a good job of doing makeup that morning, you’ll probably feel good enough to tackle whatever the rest of the day throws at you. The lipstick effect almost acts as armor for any battles you may have to encounter throughout the day. As long as you’ve got on that sharp cat-eye and snatched contour, there’s nothing that can stop you.
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