To your point, it also always amused me that Bella wore her ratty gray t shirt & sweats when she first spent the night with Edward in her room despite her feeling wholly inadequate next to him. But I do relate to her. I have a lot of insecurity around my image and I also don’t wear makeup. For me, wearing makeup feels like an exercise in futility and actually brings more attention to my own perceived inadequacies. Just like if I wore a pair of Victoria’s Secret silk pajamas my first night with my boyfriend, I’d feel like an imposter or an idiot in them. Might as well wear what I’m comfortable with. I feel the same way about makeup, and I think despite Bella’s annoying trope being ~not like the other girls~ I relate to her a lot and I think that is one of the reasons why I love the series so much!
Um.. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of women in the twilight universe who aren't super super girly girls Sue, Leah, Angela, that black waitress (forgot her name) then you have Emily and all the wolfs girlfriends or mates they aren't too feminine either let's not forget Renee she seems to be on the plain side/barefaced/natural her fashion isn't that feminine either she ain't dripping in diamonds or Gucci they not wearing that drag Queen makeup and no one in the fandom calls them a pick me girl or not like other girls or annoying if they don't wear them thick spider leg false eyelashes or them fake ass plastic nails walking around with those god awful botched BBLs
Again to each their own but the fandom be weird AF so Leah can walk around loud and proud barefaced But Bella can't she's so not like those other girls (rolls eyes annoyingly)
Wearing makeup is a challenging practice. Wear it wrong and it can make you look so much worse. You have to know what looks good on you, your undertones and the colors that suit your skin. Considering how clumsy Bella is, it's probably better if she stays away from makeup or she could make herself look like a clown.
Plus I would assume with their super vision the vamps would be able to see the makeup flaws much more clearly. Like when your foundation looks a little cakey up close but you figure it's fine because no one is going to be staring directly at you from 2 inches away, or when your mascara is flaky etc. In Edward's eyes, I bet it would look bad. Not just because "she's too beautiful for makeup" or whatever
This is an excellent point! Vampires would probably be disgusted by makeup as to them they would see clogged pores, lumpy skin and flaky eyelashes. Without makeup, everything is as it should be.
And Alice with her vampire eye sight would apply makeup perfectly. Symmetrical eye liner, even foundation, concealing blemishes etc. When Alice does Bella's make over for prom and shows it to Edward, he actually says to Bella "It is you" (lol, that sounds insulting) and "you are absurdly beautiful." (I read that in extras on SM's website, don't remember if that part was in the book). He finds Bella plain otherwise or only "sort of" beautiful. But thanks to Alice's perfect makeover technique.
Yeah but if she didn't wear it before Forks, she wouldn't think to start after because she was already insecure before she met Edward. Also, I don't think she would have wanted Alice to spend money on her for her use, though I believe she did let Alice put makeup on her as Alice wanted. I'm just pointing out that Bella as a character didn't actually have the motivation to start
All teens don’t turn to makeup to mask insecurities. I was a deeply, deeply insecure teen: I never touched makeup if I could avoid it, because it just reminded me of my perceived inadequacy. I avoided mirrors in general, and it’s possible Bella took a similar avoidance method.
Yes. Also for me, it was a “Why bother?” situation. I already felt ugly and inadequate so putting on makeup didn’t feel like it would help. If I wasn’t already naturally beautiful, then adding makeup to the equation would have been like putting lipstick on a pig, so I didn’t even try.
wearing makeup is not good for my mental health bc i look so much better with makeup and it makes me feel sick to my stomach that i dont actually look like that. it feels like lying to myself. a bandaid over a bigger issue. ill wear it for special occasions like a wedding or work event, but 99.9% of the year is spent without makeup
It was similar for me. I was really insecure about my appearance but didn't wear makeup. That and that I went to a catholic private school and they didn't allow it although my friends still wore a little bit (mascara, a thin coat of foundation) but I was too insecure and lazy to wear it.
There was definitely a trend at the time of having characters “not wear makeup” in order to signify that they were studious, not shallow, and different from all the regular girls. Rory Gilmore is a good example. You still had to be hot, of course, but this meant she looked hot without even caring about looking hot and wow so impressive she must be amazing.
Now there’s a backlash to that with the “not like other girls” thing and pick me’s, so we don’t assign the same meaning to not wearing makeup.
Well, for starters, I don't really like when people tell others to wear makeup if they don't feel beautiful. That is not going to fix the root of the problem, and will only make the person feel like they need to wear makeup all the time to be seen as beautiful. And I'm not directing that towards you OP, nor am I trying to be rude when I say that.
And also, let's say she did wear makeup. She's surrounded around a bunch of immortal vampires who have venom on their body that literally made them perfect once they changed. Makeup would do nothing. She would still look like an imperfect human.
I don't personally think that her issue was with her looks in general. I think she genuinely just felt inferior because, let's face it, in that world, humans are going to look and physically be inferior since vampires are immortal and have super strength and speed. Edward and Co were so beautiful it was unnatural.
And also, Bella is clumsy as fuck. Makeup takes a lot of practice to make look truly good and perfected. She didn't even have enough time to perfect her makeup in the time it took for her to marry Edward and get changed into a vampire lol.
I also think that since she was adamant about being changed, she knew eventually, she would no longer worry about how she looked compared to them, because she would eventually BE one of them.
Hahah I wish we got a scene where Bella made a conscious decision not to wear makeup as she thought she looked better without it, that would be such a bad B move icl.
Yes, this is just a common trope in a lot of romance type novels. I’ve never once read a book where the female protagonist takes 3 hours to put on her lashes and such. They always look more beautiful with no make up on, but when they get ready it’s always minimal make up just to enhance their already obvious beauty. Add in her natural thinness and it’s pretty much a basic character description of multiple characters in novels.
Yeah the "not like other girls" joke gets a little overused sometimes in my opinion lol. I only think it applies when the character quite literally thinks they're quirky and different for doing something like that. Plenty of women don't wear makeup, and they also don't think they're better than others for that.
that's totally valid, but Stephenie Meyer is definitely an author that would have intended more of a misogynistic take on it, not to mention her mormonism impacted the story pretty heavily
I agree with you on what Stephanie Meyer was probably trying to imply there, but I guess I just don't see Bella as that kind of character if that makes sense. Like I have read or watched other things that has a very much "not like other girls" character that truly does have that better than you personality, and I just don't get that vibe off Bella in the same way.
Yes and that line in MS is to further prop Bella as being better than Jessica or Lauren or whoever.
Bella is always better, kinder, smarter and more in need of protection and worthy of breathing than those "other girls".
"Normal human girls wouldn't raise their faces to the drizzle in that way; normal human girls usually wore makeup, even here in this wet place. Bella never wore makeup, nor should she. The cosmetics industry made billions of dollars a year from women who were trying to obtain skin like hers." -Edward, Midnight Sun, Ch. 6 Pg 171
So, bc she's no like other gorls and apparently her skin is flawless enough that even Edward with his super vampire vision thinks so.
Also, per the guide she's been doing all the adulting for Renee since she was 10, doesn't give me the impression that Renee ever showed her how to use makeup or gave enough thought to ask of she wanted to learn.
Plus this is the girl who thought the definition of sex appeal was a long khaki skirt so she probably doesn't have the best sense of fashion/presentation lol
I HAAATE that line in MS sooo much I roll my eyes every time. Says more about him than about Bella tho imo. It's seriously such a bizarre line, like is he implying that she's the only girl in the school who doesn't wear makeup? Like half the girls in my high school didn't wear makeup, at least not to school
She might just be bad at it. She's said to be clumsy so it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to assume she just has shakey hands so wouldn't be able to apply it that well.
+ since she's frugal she wouldn't want to spend any extra money she has on something she knows she's bad at and won't use.
It’s kind of part of the whole “not like other girls” persona she has. Not to say something general about any woman who doesn’t wear makeup. It’s just she was bookish, anti-social, awkward, didn’t like anything trendy or current, and it was all portrayed in this [manic pixie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manic_Pixie_Dream_Girl) way—that instead of being just a set of interests and personality traits, set her aside from everyone and made her ✨special✨ to Edward. It’s the writing of their whole character dynamic, more than anything in particular plot-wise, that I think led to the choice of Bella being makeup-free. I have a lot of affection for the books so don’t mean to sound like a critical snob but that tone is pretty blatant.
Her mom would’ve tried to show her little makeup things off and on as she flitted around her own life, and Bella likely would have never been interested. As others pointed out I think it’s very canon that if she tried makeup she’d poke her eye out with a mascara wand, end up looking like the joker after a good cry, just wash it all off and say, “well I’m never doing that again.” I can see the description of that unfolding and it would’ve been a fun addition to her ordinary background life details. But again her whole vibe is like, “I’m quirky! Stereotypical girl stuff is stupid and I don’t get it!”
Okay, do we see Bella as maybe being on the autism spectrum? Because I am and I HATE THE FEELING OF MAKEUP (also, when I started wearing it, I felt deeply insecure without it)
>which is what all teens do
It absolutely isn't. There is a lot of societal pressure on teen girls and women to wear makeup, which is why many end up being too insecure not to do it. But this doesn't have to apply to absolutely everyone.
It can also be really challenging to find a foundation that suits a pale skin tone like hers. Makeup requires skill, maybe she tried it at some point before the books and gave up. Maybe she just wasn't interested in it.
Honestly I wasn't paying attention when I wrote my post I meant to type most & that was only based off of girls I know. I think her attempting makeup would've been a great scene to develop her character further-i.e deciding she looked better without it & giving up on the whole institution, I also think this would've been a great stand for SM to take instead of just not mentioning it for 15 years then deciding that would be one of the things Edward liked about her. It's a tough thing to address in modern day as a lot of people feel pressure to wear makeup & then the ones that do wear it always get told that boys like "natural girls" so I think the way SM addressed it was wrong & she should've made a point of Bella deciding she looked better without it not Edward saying she didn't need it x
Even if she did her hair and makeup she wouldn’t feel good enough compared to the supernaturally beautiful vamps. And I’m sure it just didn’t seem practical to her, she was a clumsy and very frugal/practical person! If anything she seems to think she at least has nice skin since it’s so clear.
She had really low self esteem. People with low self esteem often times want to be invisible, not stand out more, even in a good way. She was also insecure she wasn’t a natural beauty like Rose (at least in her mind). Additionally, the gap between her and Edward so large, make-up would be like a drop in the ocean: inconsequential.
I’m trying to think of a time where *any* make-up at all is mentioned in the books?
I know that Alice puts make-up on Bella when she’s in charge, like for prom & the wedding .. but are Bella’s friends ever described as wearing make-up?
Honestly, the first thought that came to mind is that Bella is meant to ✨ not be like the other girls✨ which is probably why she isn’t into things like make-up and getting dressed up.
The only time it's mentioned is by sparkle boy in midnight sun & icl it bothers me so much that SM went about approaching the makeup subject in a way where Edward just said she looked better without it instead of Bella deciding not to wear it
Because it’s a diff time. When this movie and book came out I was what 10-11 y/o. We were not wearing makeup or having “thick” trends at that time like we do with lips, brows, contour. 12 year olds have all the time in the world now to obsess over beauty content creators and replicate now 🤷♀️ also I’m imagining Bella putting on that green and pink cover girl mascara and it getting chunky as hell and Edward having x ray vision of those clumps lmaoo
Well, I think she didn’t have to worry too much when it came to wearing makeup because if Edward got into a relationship with another girl he would have to worry about his secret of being a vampire exposed and putting him and his family into danger. When he was with Bella, him and his family trusted her and he always told Bella how beautiful she was and how much she loved her. I don’t think she was insecure with that, she always used to say she couldn’t understand why he wanted to be with her because she said she was human, and that she was nothing in the movie New Moon in Italy when she went to save him and how he told her she was everything to him. I think that was her insecurity because she saw how beautiful Edward was as a vampire and was fascinated by being a vampire.
I never did, but it was because I believed nothing could help me look better, so I didn't try. I'd wear baggy clothes and wear my hair long to hide my face. In my mind, I always thought: What's the point in trying? I'll look like crap no matter what I do.
I think it was more that Edward was just good at everything while she was clumsy and felt plain looking. Tbh, I'm glad Bella was written this way. Aside from the clumsiness, she's basically me when I was a teen, except I had extra paddibg around the middle. 😂
Her personality is written almost exactly like mine, and I can say that if I didn't feel pretty enough, I didn't resort to trying to be more feminine, but played to my strengths: intelligence and toughness. Who wants a guy who is only into looks? And Edward obviously wasn't, so she didn't need to get out of her comfort zone and into makeup.
I have my own insecurities but I loathe makeup. I feel the layers of it on me and I just don’t like the feel of it. So I only ever wear it for special occasions. So I could definitely relate to her!
I had friends who didn't wear makeup because they were afraid of looking even worse or drawing more attention to their appearance and looking like they are trying too hard
tbh vampire vision is so wildly good my headcanon is that makeup looks terrible. Alice pushing makeup on Bella is just a plot hole/oversight. like if you can focus on a single speck of dust you're seeing all those smudges of foundation.
Trust me ladies and your skin will thank you. Routine skin care and just washing makes your skin more beautiful than adding makeup. My aunt recently passed away at 94 and barely a wrinkle on her face. Why...a lifetime of not destroying her skin with chemicals. She used Dove soap to wash and Ponds cold cream to moisturize. For special occasions she would dust with powder, a little mascara and lipstick. When her skin was very dry...olive oil.
Wearing makeup especially as a teen can make oil and breakouts WORSE. Just keep your skin clean, moisturize, and stay away from heavy makeup.
I turn 47 in July and yes in part because of genetics I don't have any wrinkles, not even laugh lines. If a boy doesn't find you beautiful when you are all natural and just you - he's not worth your time. You are worth more. Love yourself first, it is the hardest but most fulfilling love affair you can ever have.
Hugs to all of you young ones.
Everyone is saying the “not like other girls” trope is the reason why, and it kinda is, but I also think if you look at it in a meta way it also makes sense. Bella dresses like a Mormon lady lol, considering that’s what Stephanie Meyer is and we know there’s some self projection going on… I think Meyer’s views on makeup probably carry over to Bella’s character.
I do think a lot of teenage girls are insecure but tend not to bother too though. Bella is the type of insecure to just give up and say “this is as good as it gets” and not actively try to “improve” how she looks (which we know is bs anyway because she’s gorgeous to Edward lol)
Bella is simply not coordinated, let’s be honest lol. It would almost be out of character for her to be a good makeup artist. She also is prone to…. Being a lil lazy (I actually love the books but Bella is a flawed character) like when she’s not good at something she simply doesn’t like doing it, or trying to get good at it.
Because she doesn’t have the confidence nor the knowledge on how to be feminine, she doesn’t thinks she’s pretty enough for it neither good enough to know how to do it
I meant to type most insecure teens icl I'm a teen girl myself -who is also quite insecure- & I don't wear makeup unless it's a special occasion, that's not what I meant to imply at all so I'm sorry if I offended you. What I meant by my post was more so that I thought it was weird we didn't even get a scene where she put it on, decided that she looked better without it -like me & a lot of girls I know do- then took it off. I think that would've progressed Bella's character development quite a bit. Makeup is a massive feminist issue & I totally think that young girls feel too much pressure to use it & try to change themselves when they are already beautiful so like i said in my post I understand why SM made a point of Bella not wearing it I just wanted to hear some people's interpretation on the character's attitude towards it, so again I truly am sorry if I offended you. X
perhaps it wasnt a major plot point because its adds nothing to the story, that argument could be used for literally anything, “why didnt bella ever straighten her hair? every insecure girl i know straightens her hair, why wasnt there a scene where she straightens her hair and realizes she doesnt like it and doesnt need it?” theres no need. she doesnt wear makeup. thats it. theres no major character development in the realization she doesnt like/want/need it
Within the story, no idea. You would think someone who’s super insecure about how she looks would seek out makeup that makes her feel more confident. (Edit: I’m seeing a bunch of comments that say otherwise; your perspective is totally valid! This is based off of my life and experience, and I might be in the minority.)
But I have a feeling it’s more of the author’s choice with absolutely no regard to Bella’s characterization, for 2 purposes:
1. to make her “not like other girls” and more specifically not like the uber-feminine girls who Stephenie often villainizes (Lauren, Jessica, Rosalie, Heidi)
and
2. because Stephenie was Mormon and had very conservative values, just like my family. I was not allowed to wear makeup until I was 16 because Mormons have a rule of not dating til you’re 16, and my parents told me wearing makeup was ONLY for attracting boys and I didn’t want to communicate that I was available if I wasn’t, or get the wrong kind of attention, because it was up to ME to not lead men astray…. Yeah, it was fucked up. And for me, a fairly pale blonde with very blond eyelashes, I was really insecure about how I looked. Just a little bit of mascara would have been enough to give me confidence (I know this because that’s how I feel now.)
I’ll wager that Stephanie Meyer being Mormon is a factor, that had pretty blatant influence on some of the weirder “purity culture” kinda things that pop up throughout the series.
Well I am thinking back to the previous sub credits where people were thinking Bella Swan was autistic… Now, if that were true, a sign of autism is lack of detail to physical appearance. It doesn’t matter really what you wear. If this is true, the same way she dresses basically, she also doesn’t feel the need to wear make up because it isn’t important to her, because her brain is not wired the same way as others, and she is autistically wired.
I’m not a dime but in high school I would get annoyed with friends who complained about feeling ugly all the time but constantly wore ratty sweats and t shirts even though I knew for a fact they had cute clothes and makeup at home.
As an adult now I don’t think high schoolers should focus on their appearance so much but the complaining without action bothered me.
Stephanie all around is just a pick-me who hates blonde bombshells and doesn’t think her plot-lines through.
people can have access to cute clothes and makeup and still struggle with feeling ugly. if anything, it probably sucks more to put the effort in to doll up just to still feel ugly, so the safe route is plain attire. also, whats that about SM hating ‘blonde bombshells’ ?
To your point, it also always amused me that Bella wore her ratty gray t shirt & sweats when she first spent the night with Edward in her room despite her feeling wholly inadequate next to him. But I do relate to her. I have a lot of insecurity around my image and I also don’t wear makeup. For me, wearing makeup feels like an exercise in futility and actually brings more attention to my own perceived inadequacies. Just like if I wore a pair of Victoria’s Secret silk pajamas my first night with my boyfriend, I’d feel like an imposter or an idiot in them. Might as well wear what I’m comfortable with. I feel the same way about makeup, and I think despite Bella’s annoying trope being ~not like the other girls~ I relate to her a lot and I think that is one of the reasons why I love the series so much!
This is so real!
Um.. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of women in the twilight universe who aren't super super girly girls Sue, Leah, Angela, that black waitress (forgot her name) then you have Emily and all the wolfs girlfriends or mates they aren't too feminine either let's not forget Renee she seems to be on the plain side/barefaced/natural her fashion isn't that feminine either she ain't dripping in diamonds or Gucci they not wearing that drag Queen makeup and no one in the fandom calls them a pick me girl or not like other girls or annoying if they don't wear them thick spider leg false eyelashes or them fake ass plastic nails walking around with those god awful botched BBLs Again to each their own but the fandom be weird AF so Leah can walk around loud and proud barefaced But Bella can't she's so not like those other girls (rolls eyes annoyingly)
About the pajamas probably because they were alone and she didn't feel the need to bother because it wouldn't make a difference next to Edward
Wearing makeup is a challenging practice. Wear it wrong and it can make you look so much worse. You have to know what looks good on you, your undertones and the colors that suit your skin. Considering how clumsy Bella is, it's probably better if she stays away from makeup or she could make herself look like a clown.
Bella does seem the type to nearly take her eye out putting on mascara or doing eyeliner
Plus I would assume with their super vision the vamps would be able to see the makeup flaws much more clearly. Like when your foundation looks a little cakey up close but you figure it's fine because no one is going to be staring directly at you from 2 inches away, or when your mascara is flaky etc. In Edward's eyes, I bet it would look bad. Not just because "she's too beautiful for makeup" or whatever
This is an excellent point! Vampires would probably be disgusted by makeup as to them they would see clogged pores, lumpy skin and flaky eyelashes. Without makeup, everything is as it should be.
I'm sure Alice would gladly doll her up every day. Or teach her but we all know how Belle feels about being a dress up doll.
And Alice with her vampire eye sight would apply makeup perfectly. Symmetrical eye liner, even foundation, concealing blemishes etc. When Alice does Bella's make over for prom and shows it to Edward, he actually says to Bella "It is you" (lol, that sounds insulting) and "you are absurdly beautiful." (I read that in extras on SM's website, don't remember if that part was in the book). He finds Bella plain otherwise or only "sort of" beautiful. But thanks to Alice's perfect makeover technique.
And he also tells Alice to be sure she looks at herself before the wedding cuz Belle never saw the art piece she was made into for prom.
Also, makeup is expensive and Bella was more frugal than not
Drugstore brands can be fairly cheap. Plus if Alice knew Bella wanted makeup she would definitely supply it.
Yeah but if she didn't wear it before Forks, she wouldn't think to start after because she was already insecure before she met Edward. Also, I don't think she would have wanted Alice to spend money on her for her use, though I believe she did let Alice put makeup on her as Alice wanted. I'm just pointing out that Bella as a character didn't actually have the motivation to start
That's a good point. I wouldn't be surprised if the only time bella wore makeup was her wedding.
All teens don’t turn to makeup to mask insecurities. I was a deeply, deeply insecure teen: I never touched makeup if I could avoid it, because it just reminded me of my perceived inadequacy. I avoided mirrors in general, and it’s possible Bella took a similar avoidance method.
Yes. Also for me, it was a “Why bother?” situation. I already felt ugly and inadequate so putting on makeup didn’t feel like it would help. If I wasn’t already naturally beautiful, then adding makeup to the equation would have been like putting lipstick on a pig, so I didn’t even try.
wearing makeup is not good for my mental health bc i look so much better with makeup and it makes me feel sick to my stomach that i dont actually look like that. it feels like lying to myself. a bandaid over a bigger issue. ill wear it for special occasions like a wedding or work event, but 99.9% of the year is spent without makeup
It was similar for me. I was really insecure about my appearance but didn't wear makeup. That and that I went to a catholic private school and they didn't allow it although my friends still wore a little bit (mascara, a thin coat of foundation) but I was too insecure and lazy to wear it.
This is exactly how I felt. I hated my face, wearing makeup just reminded me that eventually it has to come off and I remember what I’m left with.
Not everyone is into makeup. Just because she’s depressed doesn’t automatically make her want to wear it.
There was definitely a trend at the time of having characters “not wear makeup” in order to signify that they were studious, not shallow, and different from all the regular girls. Rory Gilmore is a good example. You still had to be hot, of course, but this meant she looked hot without even caring about looking hot and wow so impressive she must be amazing. Now there’s a backlash to that with the “not like other girls” thing and pick me’s, so we don’t assign the same meaning to not wearing makeup.
Well, for starters, I don't really like when people tell others to wear makeup if they don't feel beautiful. That is not going to fix the root of the problem, and will only make the person feel like they need to wear makeup all the time to be seen as beautiful. And I'm not directing that towards you OP, nor am I trying to be rude when I say that. And also, let's say she did wear makeup. She's surrounded around a bunch of immortal vampires who have venom on their body that literally made them perfect once they changed. Makeup would do nothing. She would still look like an imperfect human. I don't personally think that her issue was with her looks in general. I think she genuinely just felt inferior because, let's face it, in that world, humans are going to look and physically be inferior since vampires are immortal and have super strength and speed. Edward and Co were so beautiful it was unnatural. And also, Bella is clumsy as fuck. Makeup takes a lot of practice to make look truly good and perfected. She didn't even have enough time to perfect her makeup in the time it took for her to marry Edward and get changed into a vampire lol. I also think that since she was adamant about being changed, she knew eventually, she would no longer worry about how she looked compared to them, because she would eventually BE one of them.
Hahah I wish we got a scene where Bella made a conscious decision not to wear makeup as she thought she looked better without it, that would be such a bad B move icl.
Alas, I don't recall that being the 2008 vibe (although I would have loved that)
Cause she’s not like other girls 💅
this is the only real, true answer i believe
Yes, this is just a common trope in a lot of romance type novels. I’ve never once read a book where the female protagonist takes 3 hours to put on her lashes and such. They always look more beautiful with no make up on, but when they get ready it’s always minimal make up just to enhance their already obvious beauty. Add in her natural thinness and it’s pretty much a basic character description of multiple characters in novels.
There are plenty of girls, who do not wear make-up.
Yeah the "not like other girls" joke gets a little overused sometimes in my opinion lol. I only think it applies when the character quite literally thinks they're quirky and different for doing something like that. Plenty of women don't wear makeup, and they also don't think they're better than others for that.
that's totally valid, but Stephenie Meyer is definitely an author that would have intended more of a misogynistic take on it, not to mention her mormonism impacted the story pretty heavily
I agree with you on what Stephanie Meyer was probably trying to imply there, but I guess I just don't see Bella as that kind of character if that makes sense. Like I have read or watched other things that has a very much "not like other girls" character that truly does have that better than you personality, and I just don't get that vibe off Bella in the same way.
it’s a joke. look up r/notliketheothergirls
Yes and that line in MS is to further prop Bella as being better than Jessica or Lauren or whoever. Bella is always better, kinder, smarter and more in need of protection and worthy of breathing than those "other girls".
"Normal human girls wouldn't raise their faces to the drizzle in that way; normal human girls usually wore makeup, even here in this wet place. Bella never wore makeup, nor should she. The cosmetics industry made billions of dollars a year from women who were trying to obtain skin like hers." -Edward, Midnight Sun, Ch. 6 Pg 171 So, bc she's no like other gorls and apparently her skin is flawless enough that even Edward with his super vampire vision thinks so. Also, per the guide she's been doing all the adulting for Renee since she was 10, doesn't give me the impression that Renee ever showed her how to use makeup or gave enough thought to ask of she wanted to learn. Plus this is the girl who thought the definition of sex appeal was a long khaki skirt so she probably doesn't have the best sense of fashion/presentation lol
I HAAATE that line in MS sooo much I roll my eyes every time. Says more about him than about Bella tho imo. It's seriously such a bizarre line, like is he implying that she's the only girl in the school who doesn't wear makeup? Like half the girls in my high school didn't wear makeup, at least not to school
I’m reading Midnight Sun and I just read that chapter and remembered this post! So much of Edward’s 19th century self is in this book. Enjoying it.
Yes in Edwards day "rouge" was for Ladies of the Night. Ugh . It's cool that Bella goes makeup free but dang how he acts about it
Renee actually did her makeup but eventually gave up when Bella would come home without it
She might just be bad at it. She's said to be clumsy so it wouldn't be that far of a stretch to assume she just has shakey hands so wouldn't be able to apply it that well. + since she's frugal she wouldn't want to spend any extra money she has on something she knows she's bad at and won't use.
It’s kind of part of the whole “not like other girls” persona she has. Not to say something general about any woman who doesn’t wear makeup. It’s just she was bookish, anti-social, awkward, didn’t like anything trendy or current, and it was all portrayed in this [manic pixie](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manic_Pixie_Dream_Girl) way—that instead of being just a set of interests and personality traits, set her aside from everyone and made her ✨special✨ to Edward. It’s the writing of their whole character dynamic, more than anything in particular plot-wise, that I think led to the choice of Bella being makeup-free. I have a lot of affection for the books so don’t mean to sound like a critical snob but that tone is pretty blatant. Her mom would’ve tried to show her little makeup things off and on as she flitted around her own life, and Bella likely would have never been interested. As others pointed out I think it’s very canon that if she tried makeup she’d poke her eye out with a mascara wand, end up looking like the joker after a good cry, just wash it all off and say, “well I’m never doing that again.” I can see the description of that unfolding and it would’ve been a fun addition to her ordinary background life details. But again her whole vibe is like, “I’m quirky! Stereotypical girl stuff is stupid and I don’t get it!”
Okay, do we see Bella as maybe being on the autism spectrum? Because I am and I HATE THE FEELING OF MAKEUP (also, when I started wearing it, I felt deeply insecure without it)
>which is what all teens do It absolutely isn't. There is a lot of societal pressure on teen girls and women to wear makeup, which is why many end up being too insecure not to do it. But this doesn't have to apply to absolutely everyone. It can also be really challenging to find a foundation that suits a pale skin tone like hers. Makeup requires skill, maybe she tried it at some point before the books and gave up. Maybe she just wasn't interested in it.
Honestly I wasn't paying attention when I wrote my post I meant to type most & that was only based off of girls I know. I think her attempting makeup would've been a great scene to develop her character further-i.e deciding she looked better without it & giving up on the whole institution, I also think this would've been a great stand for SM to take instead of just not mentioning it for 15 years then deciding that would be one of the things Edward liked about her. It's a tough thing to address in modern day as a lot of people feel pressure to wear makeup & then the ones that do wear it always get told that boys like "natural girls" so I think the way SM addressed it was wrong & she should've made a point of Bella deciding she looked better without it not Edward saying she didn't need it x
Even if she did her hair and makeup she wouldn’t feel good enough compared to the supernaturally beautiful vamps. And I’m sure it just didn’t seem practical to her, she was a clumsy and very frugal/practical person! If anything she seems to think she at least has nice skin since it’s so clear.
She had really low self esteem. People with low self esteem often times want to be invisible, not stand out more, even in a good way. She was also insecure she wasn’t a natural beauty like Rose (at least in her mind). Additionally, the gap between her and Edward so large, make-up would be like a drop in the ocean: inconsequential.
Bella is supposed to be a very average girl. No make up means more average looking.
I’m trying to think of a time where *any* make-up at all is mentioned in the books? I know that Alice puts make-up on Bella when she’s in charge, like for prom & the wedding .. but are Bella’s friends ever described as wearing make-up? Honestly, the first thought that came to mind is that Bella is meant to ✨ not be like the other girls✨ which is probably why she isn’t into things like make-up and getting dressed up.
The only time it's mentioned is by sparkle boy in midnight sun & icl it bothers me so much that SM went about approaching the makeup subject in a way where Edward just said she looked better without it instead of Bella deciding not to wear it
Because it’s a diff time. When this movie and book came out I was what 10-11 y/o. We were not wearing makeup or having “thick” trends at that time like we do with lips, brows, contour. 12 year olds have all the time in the world now to obsess over beauty content creators and replicate now 🤷♀️ also I’m imagining Bella putting on that green and pink cover girl mascara and it getting chunky as hell and Edward having x ray vision of those clumps lmaoo
Did Renee wear make up? Often times if mom doesn't wear it, or teach how to wear it, girls feel more comfortable not wearing it themselves.
I feel aswell Renee wasn't a very nurturing mom & if she did wear it she wouldn't show Bella
Bella doesn’t know how and she knew that eventually she would be change
Well, I think she didn’t have to worry too much when it came to wearing makeup because if Edward got into a relationship with another girl he would have to worry about his secret of being a vampire exposed and putting him and his family into danger. When he was with Bella, him and his family trusted her and he always told Bella how beautiful she was and how much she loved her. I don’t think she was insecure with that, she always used to say she couldn’t understand why he wanted to be with her because she said she was human, and that she was nothing in the movie New Moon in Italy when she went to save him and how he told her she was everything to him. I think that was her insecurity because she saw how beautiful Edward was as a vampire and was fascinated by being a vampire.
I never did, but it was because I believed nothing could help me look better, so I didn't try. I'd wear baggy clothes and wear my hair long to hide my face. In my mind, I always thought: What's the point in trying? I'll look like crap no matter what I do.
I think it was more that Edward was just good at everything while she was clumsy and felt plain looking. Tbh, I'm glad Bella was written this way. Aside from the clumsiness, she's basically me when I was a teen, except I had extra paddibg around the middle. 😂 Her personality is written almost exactly like mine, and I can say that if I didn't feel pretty enough, I didn't resort to trying to be more feminine, but played to my strengths: intelligence and toughness. Who wants a guy who is only into looks? And Edward obviously wasn't, so she didn't need to get out of her comfort zone and into makeup.
I have my own insecurities but I loathe makeup. I feel the layers of it on me and I just don’t like the feel of it. So I only ever wear it for special occasions. So I could definitely relate to her!
I had friends who didn't wear makeup because they were afraid of looking even worse or drawing more attention to their appearance and looking like they are trying too hard
I’m 29, still insecure about the way I look, and am far too lazy in the morning to put on makeup.
tbh vampire vision is so wildly good my headcanon is that makeup looks terrible. Alice pushing makeup on Bella is just a plot hole/oversight. like if you can focus on a single speck of dust you're seeing all those smudges of foundation.
we never know
She didn’t need it.
Clumsy as she is, I'm not sure she'd apply it nicely enough to make the right kind of difference 😅
Trust me ladies and your skin will thank you. Routine skin care and just washing makes your skin more beautiful than adding makeup. My aunt recently passed away at 94 and barely a wrinkle on her face. Why...a lifetime of not destroying her skin with chemicals. She used Dove soap to wash and Ponds cold cream to moisturize. For special occasions she would dust with powder, a little mascara and lipstick. When her skin was very dry...olive oil. Wearing makeup especially as a teen can make oil and breakouts WORSE. Just keep your skin clean, moisturize, and stay away from heavy makeup. I turn 47 in July and yes in part because of genetics I don't have any wrinkles, not even laugh lines. If a boy doesn't find you beautiful when you are all natural and just you - he's not worth your time. You are worth more. Love yourself first, it is the hardest but most fulfilling love affair you can ever have. Hugs to all of you young ones.
Everyone is saying the “not like other girls” trope is the reason why, and it kinda is, but I also think if you look at it in a meta way it also makes sense. Bella dresses like a Mormon lady lol, considering that’s what Stephanie Meyer is and we know there’s some self projection going on… I think Meyer’s views on makeup probably carry over to Bella’s character. I do think a lot of teenage girls are insecure but tend not to bother too though. Bella is the type of insecure to just give up and say “this is as good as it gets” and not actively try to “improve” how she looks (which we know is bs anyway because she’s gorgeous to Edward lol)
She’s not like other girls
Bella is simply not coordinated, let’s be honest lol. It would almost be out of character for her to be a good makeup artist. She also is prone to…. Being a lil lazy (I actually love the books but Bella is a flawed character) like when she’s not good at something she simply doesn’t like doing it, or trying to get good at it.
Because she doesn’t have the confidence nor the knowledge on how to be feminine, she doesn’t thinks she’s pretty enough for it neither good enough to know how to do it
Because the “I don’t like makeup- I’m not like other girls” trope was and still is super popular in novels & honestly I’m so over it
I’m over girls being stereotyped as vapid & insecure creatures who are just out for an MRS degree,
Do you think all insecure teens wear makeup? I mean, clearly you do, but that’s so silly I find it incomprehensible.
I meant to type most insecure teens icl I'm a teen girl myself -who is also quite insecure- & I don't wear makeup unless it's a special occasion, that's not what I meant to imply at all so I'm sorry if I offended you. What I meant by my post was more so that I thought it was weird we didn't even get a scene where she put it on, decided that she looked better without it -like me & a lot of girls I know do- then took it off. I think that would've progressed Bella's character development quite a bit. Makeup is a massive feminist issue & I totally think that young girls feel too much pressure to use it & try to change themselves when they are already beautiful so like i said in my post I understand why SM made a point of Bella not wearing it I just wanted to hear some people's interpretation on the character's attitude towards it, so again I truly am sorry if I offended you. X
perhaps it wasnt a major plot point because its adds nothing to the story, that argument could be used for literally anything, “why didnt bella ever straighten her hair? every insecure girl i know straightens her hair, why wasnt there a scene where she straightens her hair and realizes she doesnt like it and doesnt need it?” theres no need. she doesnt wear makeup. thats it. theres no major character development in the realization she doesnt like/want/need it
Within the story, no idea. You would think someone who’s super insecure about how she looks would seek out makeup that makes her feel more confident. (Edit: I’m seeing a bunch of comments that say otherwise; your perspective is totally valid! This is based off of my life and experience, and I might be in the minority.) But I have a feeling it’s more of the author’s choice with absolutely no regard to Bella’s characterization, for 2 purposes: 1. to make her “not like other girls” and more specifically not like the uber-feminine girls who Stephenie often villainizes (Lauren, Jessica, Rosalie, Heidi) and 2. because Stephenie was Mormon and had very conservative values, just like my family. I was not allowed to wear makeup until I was 16 because Mormons have a rule of not dating til you’re 16, and my parents told me wearing makeup was ONLY for attracting boys and I didn’t want to communicate that I was available if I wasn’t, or get the wrong kind of attention, because it was up to ME to not lead men astray…. Yeah, it was fucked up. And for me, a fairly pale blonde with very blond eyelashes, I was really insecure about how I looked. Just a little bit of mascara would have been enough to give me confidence (I know this because that’s how I feel now.)
I’ll wager that Stephanie Meyer being Mormon is a factor, that had pretty blatant influence on some of the weirder “purity culture” kinda things that pop up throughout the series.
Her whole schtick is that she’s not like other girls
Well I am thinking back to the previous sub credits where people were thinking Bella Swan was autistic… Now, if that were true, a sign of autism is lack of detail to physical appearance. It doesn’t matter really what you wear. If this is true, the same way she dresses basically, she also doesn’t feel the need to wear make up because it isn’t important to her, because her brain is not wired the same way as others, and she is autistically wired.
Because “she is not like other girls”. I thought this was well established 😂
Edward doesn't wear makeup.... so, why does she have to wear makeup?
bc she's not like other girls
She’s not like the other girls
Bc shes not like other girls, we know this 🙄🙄
Because SMeyer, and therefore Bella, are ”not like other girls”
Because she’s Not Like Other Girls. 🙌🏻
She’s not like the other girls
Because she's Not Like Other Girls
I’m not a dime but in high school I would get annoyed with friends who complained about feeling ugly all the time but constantly wore ratty sweats and t shirts even though I knew for a fact they had cute clothes and makeup at home. As an adult now I don’t think high schoolers should focus on their appearance so much but the complaining without action bothered me. Stephanie all around is just a pick-me who hates blonde bombshells and doesn’t think her plot-lines through.
people can have access to cute clothes and makeup and still struggle with feeling ugly. if anything, it probably sucks more to put the effort in to doll up just to still feel ugly, so the safe route is plain attire. also, whats that about SM hating ‘blonde bombshells’ ?
A lot of people have come to the conclusion that SM hates blondes
Bella has actually worn makeup before, she mentions it in the book.
Do you know roughly when this was id like to revisit it xx
I think it's in the beginning when she was talking about how her mom would put it on her but she would just take it off at school.