Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Behind These Hazel Eyes

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Happy HNT! Yes, this is a small picture and not too revealing, but I would like to write on the subject of eyebrows.

Today I had some of the hair on my face ripped out after having been drowned in hot wax. Always a fun procedure. I especially like it when they make small talk as they're doing it. ("So, you're in college? What's your major?" *RIP*) The first time I got my eyebrows waxed was in May. I avoided it throughout my teen years and had no intentions of ever getting it done until Sister, in a fit of rage, referred to me as Bushy Eyebrows. (She has called me worse, I should have taken it as a compliment.) I rolled my eyes in my classic fashion and marched straight into the bathroom to look at the alleged bushy eyebrows. Were they really that bad? If so, how could my family have allowed me to leave the house this way? Why didn't my friends tell me?

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(By the way, this is how they looked.)

I sought the opinions of those closest to me. Cynic said that I was crazy and that I didn't need to do anything with my eyebrows. Father said, "What are you talking about? You have beautiful eyebrows!" Mother's response, however, was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. "Well... you could thin them out, just a little bit."

For some reason, my mother's opinion is like a Supreme Court verdict to me. She may not come right out and say she doesn't like something, but I can read her. If I ask her opinion and she casually mentions that maybe the other shirt would look nicer, I will walk around self-conscious the whole day, thinking that everyone is pointing at my shirt and laughing. (Alright, I exaggerate, but still.) So when she didn't fawn all over my eyebrows, I got the hint.

It took time for me to make the decision to get them waxed. It may seem like a stupid decision, but it was monumental for me. I felt like I was compromising all my feminist principles. I spout my fervent opinions on the rights of women and the harm done by false ideals of beauty, and then I'm going to run to the salon to have hair that God apparently wanted on my body for some reason ripped out? Every month? (Since I started, I once skipped a month and the woman reprimanded me, saying that my eyebrows had lost all their shape. Give me a break, they weren't growing out onto my ears or anything.)

I like the way they look when I have them done, but I still feel like a total sell-out. I guess that once I got the whole crazy business into my head, I had to get them done, otherwise I would have been walking around, thinking that everyone was staring at my freakish face. Damn social conditioning.

Just curious what people think about this, especially the feminists out there. Is it fair that we're pressured to do this crazy shit? Men don't have to. But then, where do we draw the line? I don't think it's fair that we have to go crazy to shave our legs and armpits just so that we can be considered "attractive," but you won't catch me not doing it.

14 comments:

sdk said...

I get mine done too...LOL

Happy HNT!

sdk

lecram sinun said...

I like your brows... waxed or not. The eyes make em. Happy HNT!

Anonymous said...

I'm disappointed in you. Yer so quick to give up yer principles 'cause o' what others think. Since when do you give two craps what others think?! Especially lately! Yes, you are a sell-out. Turn in yer feminist card, yer done.

Andi said...

We shouldn't, but we do. I personally get a quick thrill from plucking my own. Every one of the little bastards plucked is a personal victory.

sojourness said...

Oh Wolverine, calm yourself.

That said, yes, I'm being part of the problem by succumbing to it. I will give you that.

Turn in my feminist card? Hell no, I have a lifetime membership ;)

aughra said...

hey, hey, hey - eyes are the windows to your soul. So, do you want your eyebrows to be cheap blinds or beautiful wall hangings?

They are fine full, but very pretty waxed.

Anonymous said...

Feh...if I'd expect no less if ya saw me backin' down on somethin' I felt so adamant about. If this was a simple matter o' you changin' yer mind, I'd only get on yer case mildly like I do with yer make-up. But, it ain't. Aside from th' fact I think all this beautification junk is pure crap, it all boils down to ya sacrficed yer principles fer what? A couple hecklers that have no real bearin' on yer life? In short, fer absolutely NOTHING.

HappyKap said...

Wow! That's pretty cool! Happy HNT!

MomThatsNuts said...

very cool!! Happy HNT...

Mom

Hippie girl said...

I think they look great either way.

MomMega: mothersmilkblog.com said...

I'm with Andi...Plucking is fun!!
Happy HNT!

Anonymous said...

Yeah I don't consider primping and preening torture really I kinda like do all that stuff. But

Robert van de Walle said...

I'll admit my hindbrain gives me a good jolt of "get ready to make an ass of yourself" when a beauty like Ewa Sonnet passes into my field of view, but I also appreciate the natural look.

A fit and trim and clearly cared for body excites me more than an artificially modified one.

And really, after a few minutes with a woman, I'm not really looking at her anyway. I'm listening to her. Her spirit and sense of self-worth is far and away more alluring than her physical form.

Anonymous said...

Happy HNT! Very Nice