55 Makeup Quotes Any Beauty-Lover Can Relate To

Makeup is an artistic expression of self-love. And while no act grounded in love should ever require justification, you may be looking to put words to your affinity for beautiful cosmetics. Whether it's the grounding ritual of layering products or the emotionally transformative effects of a great lipstick, we get what it's all about. We, too, recognize the magic in every tube, compact, and palette. Regardless of what your personal journey with makeup has entailed, there's kinship in finding a sense of community. We're all beauty lovers here, after all!

Lucky for us, there are plenty of actual icons that can relate and won't hesitate to gush about their love for makeup. Here are 55 makeup quotes that are simply universal.

1. “You can be a woman who wants to look good and still stand up for the equality of women.” – Meghan Markle

2. “The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.” ― Yves Saint Laurent

3. “Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” – Gwyneth Paltrow

4. “Makeup is malleable and mercurial: The biggest joy I have every day is the opportunity to create, to play, and to invent with something I've loved forever.” – Pat McGrath

5. “Treat your makeup like jewelry for the face. Play with colors, shapes, structure—it can transform you.” – François Nars

6. "Whether I'm wearing lots of makeup or no makeup, I'm always the same person inside." – Lady Gaga

7. “To me, the essence of truly modern makeup is the freedom to be yourself, to express who you are.” – François Nars

8. “Creativity is your best makeup skill, don’t be afraid to experiment.” – Pat McGrath

9. “I just like playing with makeup and clothes–so I really don’t feel like there are rules, and if there are rules, then I think it’s up to you to break them.” – Kesha

10. “My dad used to say makeup was a shallow girl's sport, but it's not. It's armor.” – Courtney Summers

11. “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack.” – Coco Chanel

12. “That’s one of the things I love about makeup–you can change your whole attitude by just doing your eyeliner or lipstick differently.” – Beyoncé

13. “Never ask a girl with winged eyeliner why she’s late.” – Unknown

14. “‎Lipstick is really magical. It holds more than a waxy bit of color - it holds the promise of a brilliant smile, a brilliant day, both literally and figuratively.” – Roberta Gately

15. “When I put on makeup, I'm not doing it to pander to antiquated patriarchal ideals of feminine beauty. I'm doing it because it makes me feel good.” – Sophia Amoruso

16. “But if you want to know who the scariest person in the group is, look for the one who’s been fighting zombies without smearing her eyeliner.” – Mira Grant

17. “Perfect isn't normal, nor is it interesting. I have no features without makeup. I am pale. I have blond lashes. You could just paint my face—it's like a blank canvas. It can be great for what I do.” – Amy Adams

18. “Calliope leaned forward on the vanity, which was littered with gleaming silver beauty wands and powders and a fresh manicolor mitt—all of it arrayed carefully before her, like weapons polished and laid out for battle. Her own lethal tools, which had always made her so dangerously beautiful.” – Katharine McGee

19. “Makeup can be used to express yourself... Those experiences should not be limited to women. Everyone should be free to be as colorful as they want to be.” – Ian Thomas Malone

20. "Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

21. “I feel beautiful without makeup on, but when I do put makeup on, it just gives me this extra pop.” – Cardi B

22. “I'm not saying that putting on makeup will change the world or even your life, but it can be a first step in learning things about yourself you may never have discovered otherwise. At worst, you could make a big mess and have a good laugh.” – Kevyn Aucoin

23. “Sometimes you just have to put on lip gloss and pretend to be psyched.” – Mindy Kaling

24. "What I love most about makeup is that you can't get attached to one thing, one idea, or one approach—and once you've achieved perfection, you have to wipe it all off and start over the next day.” – Pat McGrath

25. “Makeup can help you capture a moment.” – Carine Roitfeld

26. “I love makeup—I think people should wear as much makeup as they want to wear and make it fun. ” – Dita Von Teese

27. “Makeup is an art form for me. It's a form of expression, and it's such a cool way to get my creative juices flowing.” – James Charles

28. "Makeup is the finishing touch, the final accessory." – Marc Jacobs

29. “I grew up in a makeup chair. And to see the women around me getting ready was so aspirational. It's about mothers and daughters, a girl watching her mom at a vanity table.” – Drew Barrymore

30. "We're just so lucky as women to be able to wear [makeup]. If you're having a bad day, you can change that." – Gwen Stefani

31. “I love natural beauty, and I think it’s your best look, but I think makeup as an artist is so transformative.” – Marina Diamandis

32. “I love fashion, and I love changing my style, my hair, my makeup, and everything I've done in the past has made me what I am now. Not everyone is going to like what I do, but I look back at everything, and it makes me smile.” – Victoria Beckham

33. “I can't wear a little makeup. I have to wear a lot of makeup or no makeup.” – Betsey Johnson

34. “I’m very proud of my skin and face, and I have no problem not wearing makeup. I don’t wear makeup because I feel like I need to cover myself up or because I don’t feel confident. I wear makeup because it’s fun; it’s like painting on my face.” – Zendaya

35. "Makeup is not a mask that covers up your beauty—it's a weapon that helps you express who you are from the inside." – Michelle Phan

36. "Joy is the best makeup. But a little lipstick is a close runner-up." – Anne Lamott

37. “The notion that wearing makeup is anti-feminist is silly. Cleopatra pretty much invented the eyeliner, and she ruled a kingdom!” – Natasha Scripture

38. “Makeup transforms me. I feel like I'm in disguise when I walk my dog without makeup on.” – Maye Musk

39. “I love being super–tough, but if I need to put on a dress and do my hair and makeup, I can do that too.” – Elizabeth Rodriguez

40. “I believe in manicures, I believe in overdressing, I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick.” – Audrey Hepburn

41. “Makeup ignites a psychological transformation of both the wearer and the observer.” – Richard Phillips

42. “Foundation should unify tone, but it shouldn’t take away the individuality of the skin.” – François Nars

43. “Cosmetics is the science of a woman’s cosmos.” – Karl Kraus

44. "Making people feel beautiful is a gift." – Gwen Stefani

45. "Who doesn’t want to look glazed and dewy from head to toe? I want to look bitable." – Hailey Bieber

46. "I like to have fun with my makeup and hair and do things that will make me smile. I love using big red carpet moments as another way to experiment and figure out if I can get closer to sharing what's authentically me every time I step out." – Yara Shahidi

47. "I love the anti-clean girl aesthetic. I love the messy, like throwing on your makeup and not trying to be perfect. I think that's really great." – Emily Ratajkowski

48. "Makeup is like a secret weapon." – Rihanna

49. “I believe all women are pretty without makeup – but with the right makeup can be pretty powerful.” – Bobbi Brown

50. “I love lashes. I feel like I could be completely naked but have lashes, and I’d be fine. Like, I’ll forget! Just walk out naked and completely forget.” – Ariana Grande

51. “Beauty is power, and makeup is something that really enhances that; it’s a woman’s secret.” – Charlotte Tilbury

52. “If she likes makeup, let her wear it. If she likes fashion, let her dress up. But if she doesn’t like either, let her be.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

53. “On a bad day, there's always lipstick.” – Audrey Hepburn

54. “Beauty is about enhancing what you have, let yourself shine through.” – Janelle Monáe

55. "Makeup is no different than clothes and accessories— it’s embellishments for your face. And it also gives you creative freedom. You get to have that moment in front [of] the mirror every morning and give yourself self-love. You’re making yourself up beautiful which is essentially self-love.” – Michelle Phan