What the #nomakeupselfies Really Mean to Women

Pictures of women who have undergone life-saving mastectomies have recently been circulated online and subsequently criticised. Events which many shrugged off, after all, the internet is a cruel place.

Well, at LIKECHARITY we don’t accept that old saying. The internet is merely a communications tool, its users define what it is. And in the last 10 days the Irish public have proved that the internet is a not only a means of communication, but a means of support, a community in itself and a medium through which the world can be changed.

Image via gratisography

LIKECHARITY, along with ICS have been overwhelmed by the never ending generosity of the Irish people. Still, the nay-sayers have emerged, as they always do. Many people question the relevance of the ‘No Make-Up Selfie’, saying that young women exposing their bare faces should not be newsworthy, nor does it help or relate to the suffering of cancer patients.

Yet one of the many difficult realities facing breast cancer patients is the possibility of losing their hair or their breasts. A haunting thought for a woman in today’s Vogue driven society.

Shave or Dye is hugely successful every year, as it makes the Irish public stop and think about how daunting it would be to lose a pivotal piece of their appearance. Last year Majella O’Donnell raised over €500,000 for ICS by shaving her hair live on the Late Late Show. It is undeniable that Mrs O’Donnell’s actions that night were extremely courageous, directly showing the nation one of the many hurdles facing people struggling with cancer.

The ‘No Make-Up Selfie’ followed this idea, showing the nation’s women bare faced, stripped of their make-up. This online trend allowed women to come together for the sake of a cause that has touched so many peoples’ lives, and disregard the media and magazines that have for so long dictated how women should look. For an entire week makeup free faces were featured more heavily in the papers than those of models. Then the convenience of mobile donating stepped in, turning this public stand against cancer into over €1 million euro in aid of the Irish Cancer Society.

Recognising the social importance of this celebrities began to hop on-board, proving that Irish women care deeply about making a change. For these celebrities their appearance is a huge part of their public image, and exposing their bare selves was a huge step in furthering the popularity of ‘No Make-Up Selfies’.

But what would happen if you combined the ease of text donation, bare faced celebrities and the national audience of The Saturday Night Show?

This weekend Daniella Moyles, Norah Casey, Amanda Brunker and Nuala Carey will show their support for Irish people battling cancer and take their make-up off live on RTÉ’s The Saturday Night Show. Watch this space!

Photo by: RTESatnightshow

Previous
Previous

Adapt or Die: A Fundraiser’s Guide to Social Media

Next
Next

#NoMakeUpSelfie Donations Hit €1 Million in Ireland!