Famed feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie used to hide her high heels and ignore Sephora’s siren song. Now she’s here to tell us that wearing makeup doesn’t actually mean anything, so do what you want with your face.
Adichie is the new face of Boots No7, and in the November issue of Vogue UK, she gives a pretty succinct summary of why women will probably be excited by this news:
I think much of beauty advertising relies on a false premise – that women need to be treated in an infantile way, given a ‘fantasy’ to aspire to… Real women are already inspired by other real women, so perhaps beauty advertising needs to get on board.
Adichie looks great and definitely more “real” than most makeup ads in which models are serving sultry open-mouthed lipstick face:
She also said in a statement how much she loves makeup, focusing on the very personal relationship every woman has to painting her face:
I love make-up and its wonderful possibilities for temporary transformation. And I also love my face after I wash it all off…There is something exquisitely enjoyable about seeing yourself with a self-made new look. And for me that look is deeply personal. It isn’t about what is in fashion or what the rules are supposed to be. It’s about what I like. What makes me want to smile when I look in the mirror. What makes me feel slightly better on a dull day. What makes me comfortable.
If that doesn’t inspire you, the first ad for the campaign might. In it, Adichie says she went through a period of rejecting femininity, to be taken seriously, but now she’s living her truth. Her truth includes walking under a blossoming tree in a yellow dress:
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Still here. Still without airbrushing. Still with teeth.
